


A Sister's Duty

by MoonlightFable



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: But she grows up, Eventual Smut, F/M, M/M, Multi, Mutant OC, No Underage Sex, Polygamy, Rape/Non-con Elements, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates, Underage Stripper
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-21
Updated: 2020-12-03
Packaged: 2021-02-27 09:54:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 11
Words: 29,647
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22265179
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MoonlightFable/pseuds/MoonlightFable
Summary: Taken over from Token_Geek.She's been on the run for years, a survivor of a massacre; her only purpose is taking care of her baby brother as her mother begged her to in her last moments. Her life was just starting to get better when the past forces her to leave again this time unbeknownst to her abandoning one of her soulmates. When they meet again he is not going to let her past take her away again and as more of her soulmates find her she learns how to trust others and learns how to actually live.
Relationships: Bruce Banner/Original Female Character(s), James "Bucky" Barnes/Original Female Character(s), Loki/Original Female Character(s), Stephen Strange/Original Female Character(s), Steve Rogers/Original Female Character(s), Thor/Original Female Character(s), Tony Stark/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 34
Kudos: 265





	1. Prologue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dana will do anything for her baby brother.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wassup? Thanks to the seemingly never-ending suspension at work I have haded a few things and changed a few things number one being Robbie's age, instead of about three/four at the beginning he is now seven/eight, Dana remains the same.
> 
> WARNING: This chapter contains sexual exploitation of a minor, attempted kidnapping and violence against a minor.
> 
> FUTURE WARNING: in the far future a chapter will contain rape/noncon, I will, of course, remind everyone before that happens.

_I have to do this_ she thought, standing across the street from her target, the Underground Gentlemen’s Club; it wasn’t even open yet – wouldn’t be for a few more days – but tonight was the last night of auditions and she _had_ to do it. Being a grocery store greeter wasn’t working anymore; she had little money left and they were about to be kicked out of their crappy apartment and she nearly ran out of food for her baby brother _twice_ this month and that was _unacceptable_.

Steeling her nerves, she walked as confidently as she could fake to the door where a rather buff doorman eyed her suspiciously, of course even in her skimpy outfit – that she stole from a thrift store – she probably looked far too young to be in a place like this… and she was, but they didn’t need to know that. Flashing her ID that claimed she was twenty-one, she was met with disbelieve but allowed in.

The inside was fully lit and sensual music could be heard as several women waited their turn to show off their body on the stage while a middle-aged man – the owner, Mr. Otis she assumed – watched. _I can do this…_ she told herself, watching as one girl spun on the pole like it was a part of her. _I was the best in gymnastics… I can do this._

“Who let a kid in here?” the owner demanded, noticing her for the first time. “Am I seriously going to have to fire somebody already?!”

“I’m not a kid!” she argued, showing her ID. Mr. Otis took it and looked over it hard, turning it over and looking even harder.

“… Fiona, take over for a moment, I want to interview this one privately,” a stern looking woman nodded from her seat near the bar.

He led her backstage towards his office and motioned for her to take a seat on the large leather couch. She wasn’t sure what was going to happen, in all of her research she never came across anything like this, why would he take her away from the other girls?

“I’m going to be blunt, _Dana_ ,” he started, staring at her sternly. “How old are you really?”

“I’m… I’m twenty-one as of last week,” she said, was something wrong with her ID? Shit, she paid so much for it!

  
“Baby I started off as a lowly doorman in Vegas, I know a fake ID when I see one though I’ll give whoever made this one credit it’s not bad… so, again how old are you?”

“… Sixteen next month.”

“And why exactly did you think trying to get a job here was a good idea? Shit just having you on the property could get me fined up the ass.”

“Because I _need_ this job! If I could survive with my crappy minimum wage than I wouldn’t even be here!”

“Where are your parents?” he demanded.

“Out of the picture, it’s just me and I refuse to go to foster care… nobody wants a teenager anyway,” Dana didn’t mention her brother, it was none of his business and even if he tried giving her up to social services she could easily escape them and take Robbie somewhere else… again.

“So you have no one huh?” he stood and began circling the couch, eying her up in a way that made her uncomfortable. “No other family that will come looking for you?”

“No, just me.”

“Alright,” he sat down behind his desk and gave a creepy smug look. “I’ll make you a deal, I’ll hire you on the condition that for as long as you work here I get a percentage of your tips as hazard pay.”

“What’s the catch?” she asked, it sounded far too easy.

“No catch; you wouldn’t believe how much certain men will pay for a babyface. Do we have a deal?”

“… Deal.”

“Great! Now… show me what you’ve got,” he leaned back in anticipation.

Dana froze in her seat. “I-I thought I was already hired?”

“You are, but I need to make sure you can actually _strip_ , just to your bra and panties, this isn’t a fully nude club. Show me how much you _really_ need this job.”

With trembling fingers she undid the button on her dark jean shorts and slowly pulled them down to show her purple panties, she bought them because they were her favorite color and hoped they would help her relax… they did not, her shoes were unceremoniously kicked off as well. Next, she untied the string of her black halter top and pulled it off to reveal a matching bra.

“Shit, not even sixteen yet and already got quite the rack…” Mr. Otis groaned, watching her hungrily, and not a soulmark in sight… oh, she was going to be _very_ popular. “Come sit on my lap.”

_Do it for Robbie…_ she awkwardly straddled his lap, tensing when she felt his hands caress her back. _Do it for Robbie_.

“Need to loosen up, Baby,” he said, laughing when he grabbed her ass and felt her jolt. “I’m not going to taint your virtue… as tempting as it is; you have that cute wide-eyed virgin look going for you. Get dressed and come back tomorrow at seven o’clock, Fiona will be showing the girls the basics.”

Dana couldn’t move fast enough, she threw her clothes back on and slipped back into her shoes, there was only one other girl waiting her turn on stage when she passed through and went out the door into the chilly night air. She took a detour and looked back several times to make sure she wasn’t followed before allowing herself to go home.

Her apartment complex should have technically been condemned a long time ago, but she guessed the city would rather turn a blind eye than deal with more homeless people in the streets. All that mattered to her was a door with an actual lock – which she changed as soon as she could, thanks to her grandfather’s wisdom – some kind of running water and a roof.

Unlocking the door, she slipped into her apartment and locked it behind her. Robbie was sound asleep on the full-size bed they shared. As quietly as she could, Dana grabbed a random pair of nightclothes and crept into the bathroom. She took off her clothes and wished she could afford to burn them, but no she couldn’t risk losing this job; she then took out a bottle of makeup remover and rubbed away the concealer covering her soulmarks.

Almost everyone got a soulmark when they reached puberty. A soulmark was something related to your soulmate – the person you were fated to be with or so says the experts – a person would instantly recognize their mark on someone. Most had one, some had two, the current record was three soulmates that has been documented only twice in history. But for some reason, Dana had _seven_ soulmarks.

There was a serpent that circled her left wrist, a cog in the center of her chest, a DNA helix over her heart, a star over her right lung, another on her upper left arm – god she hoped they weren’t twins that would be so awkward if they ever met – a lightning bolt below her navel, and some kind of stick with a snake wrapped around on the back of her neck. Of course, nobody knew of them, her mother taught her how to cover them as soon as they appeared when she was nine.

_“Some people will try to hurt you because they believe in ones or twos, but don’t ever be ashamed that fate thought you deserved so much love, Sweetheart.”_

Dana was not ashamed of her soulmarks, even if she knew that they were unlikely to meet or want to share, each one brought her peace and made her feel special.

Dressing in galaxy printed leggings and an oversized black t-shirt she climbed into bed beside Robbie and wished for a dream where everything was okay.

****

Within the first month of work, everything was _not_ okay. Oh sure, she mastered the basic steps easily and found it wasn’t so hard to ignore Mr. Otis’ stares as she followed along to Fiona’s moves, but opening night was a nightmare she’d never forget and she hoped Robbie didn’t wake up to her crying in the bathroom when she returned. So many men kept requesting her, some because she reminded them of their stepdaughter – what the hell?! – some because she didn’t have any soulmarks and therefore would be open to doing more – she wasn’t, and the bouncers had to kick a few angry men out for it.

That’s when she realized how lucky she was to have her powers. Shortly after she gained her soulmarks, she started to notice how she could control someone’s body. Her stepdad wouldn’t let her stay up to watch Clue? He kept dropping everything all day; her mother couldn’t breathe because she was sick? Nasal passages opened more than ever before. Now, every time someone tried to touch her outside of the OK zones – hips, arms, back and legs – she simply made their arms immobile until she was done with the dance.

Of course that’s when things went from not okay, to straight to hell.

“Got a private dance in VIP booth one, Belladonna,” Mr. Otis told her, it was the middle of her usual shift; and if she calculated her earnings right, she would have just enough to consider those classes at the community college. Because like hell was she going to be doing this forever.

She smoothed out her hair before entering booth one; a lone man who looked to be in his thirties sat in the middle of the couch, legs crossed and shirt partially opened, his face resting in his hand as he watched her close the thick curtains against the noisy club.

“Hello there, mister,” she spoke in her childish voice. “What are you looking for?”

“Someone who can handle my… rough side,” he spoke confidently.

At this point she had to resist an eye roll; she heard it all before already. Men thinking they’re Arnold Schwarzenegger when they’re actually Elijah Wood, she just grins and goes along with it. Standing in front of her client, she sways her hips to the beat of the music before slowly crawling into his lap, his hands immediately went for her sides but she let it slide so long as they stayed there.

“Got a name, mister?”

“Dom, Dom Walters gorgeous and what can I call you?”

“Belladonna, but most people just call me Bella,” she grinned as if she was enjoying herself, she learned quickly how to fake it. Resting her hands on his shoulders she could feel the knots in his muscle _someone needs to see a massage therapist._

While grinding her hips into his groin, she eased the tension in his shoulders – hey some guys pay her big money just for a massage, okay? – and immediately she could see him relaxing.

“You’re good with your hands, Bella, what else can they do?” he teased her ass and suddenly couldn’t feel his arms anymore.

“No touching, mister!” she chided playfully – internally cringing – she just had to keep it up until one of the bouncers came to tell them time was up.

She focused on the strain in his neck while slowly grinding into his lap, not paying attention to his short breath or his attempts to move his arms. She glanced down at his mark that was just visible thanks to his open shirt. _Riding crop or some kind of flute?_

The music had just ended when he let out a gasp and suddenly Dana froze. She was sitting in something wet… daring to look, she could tell the front of his black pants were stained.

“Times up,” said the bouncer and Belladonna practically ran to the backroom where she kept baby wipes – worked better than any makeup remover she tried – and vigorously rubbed her inner thighs.

Her panties were damp. _Shit, time to go home…_ she changed into her ‘off work underwear’ which was just something from a package she got at Wal-Mart and threw her dirty ones in a bag along with her bra since she was going straight home. Pulling on a simple black dress and switching her heels for sandals, she went to collect and settle her paycheck, the bouncer probably made sure Dom paid his due, so – hopefully – she’d never have to deal with him again.

In her rush to leave the club, she failed to notice a shadow following her until her world went black…

****

She woke to the smell of expensive leather and the hum of an engine. _A car?_ She wondered. Panic erupting through her, how many stories had she read of strippers being dumped on some highway or bridge? _Robbie!_

As soon as the car came to a stop, she reached for the handle and – thankfully it wasn’t locked – jumped out, she had no idea where she was but that didn’t matter, what mattered was getting away from her kidnapper who if the obscenities were any indication, was _not_ happy.

_Where to go? What’s around? Church? Fuck no Mom made that mistake once, corner store? Employees aren’t paid enough to give a shit…_ She chose the lesser of the two evils only instead of going in, she hid behind the corner store by the dumpster… where someone had tossed an old wooden baseball bat. She’d take a few splinters if it meant living another day.

Her heart pounding, she could hear someone coming… but couldn’t feel them… shit, whatever they used to knock her out screwed around with her powers. Just a little further… someone came across the corner and she immediately struck him with the bat, unfortunately, she only succeeded in breaking it over his forearm when he blocked.

“Fucking bitch!” Dom Walters shouted, making a grab for her arm which she pulled away and slapped him across the face. “I’m trying to fucking help you, you fucking whore!”

“GET THE HELL AWAY FROM ME!” Dana screamed. Did he want his money back? He can take it! Shit, he can take all of it!

He managed to grab a chunk of her hair and raised his hand to strike when someone grabbed it and pinned it behind his back while slamming him against the wall.

“No means no, asswipe,” said a man with dark hair and stubble.

“Mind your own fucking business,” Dom hissed through his teeth. “She’s my fucking soulmate I’ll punish her as I see fit.”

“I’m not your soulmate!” Dana exclaimed in outrage. “Where the hell did you get that idea?! I’ve known you for less than thirty minutes!”

“Don’t fucking lie to me! All the bitches I’ve had, you’re the only one to actually make me feel something!”

“Actually,” her savior butted in, fully invested and probably would be eating popcorn if he had it. “She’s not lying dingus, now apologize to _my_ soulmate and maybe I’ll let it slide.”

He threw a subtle wink her way.

“Bullshit, where’s you mark, asshole?” Dom called his bluff, but she could see the panic in his eyes. Castration was still a legal punishment for sexually assaulting someone’s mate in several states, California included.

“On my ass, I’d show you but that would be gay,” he laughed and shoved Dom away. Dom, not very bright attempted to charge him only to have a gun aimed at his face. “Try me, _bitch_.”

Dana was happy to see Dom do the smart thing and run… leaving behind a puddle where he stood. Her savior holstered his gun and suddenly everything came crashing down.

She couldn’t understand… she didn’t do anything special for Dom, she treated him just like any other client. Yet he kidnapped her, chased her down like an animal and tried to hurt her, she took it back; he wasn’t Elijah Wood, he was that generic asshole love interest in the crappy romance novels that should be arrested by never is. What did she do?

She didn’t even realize she was crying until she felt tears hit her feet. _What did I do?_

“Dana?” her savior called to her.

“Who told you my name?” she hiccupped.

“You’re three doors down from me at the shithole Blue Palace Apartments, I’ve seen you a couple of times with the kid living with you.”

“… I’ve never seen you before…”

“Yeah well… not the best place to be making friends, I’m Wade Wilson,” he held out his hand.

“Dana Freeborn,” she accepted it, sniffling.

“Are you okay, Dana?”

“… No,” and the tears came back as quickly as they left. “E-everything is shit right now, it’s just me and my brother and I’m just trying to keep us alive and everyone wants to take advantage of me! I’ve had men tell me disgusting things they want to do to me, and I just got kidnapped by some psychopath I made come in his pants from a fucking neck massage, and I can’t say anything about any of it or else I could lose my job and it fucking sucks!”

“Yeah that does majorly suck balls,” Wade agreed, watching her sob her heart out. _How old is she? She looks like she should be in school, not dealing with perverts_. “Where do you work?”

“The stupid Underground…”

“Oh,” he made a sour face. “Not really my scene, I don’t trust clubs that fluent all that money, I mean a strip club is a strip club, fancy couches and marble floors don’t magically change that.”

“Where are we, anyway?” she asked, changing the subject. She didn’t recognize the area at all.

“Near the richer side of town, opposite direction to the apartment complex, I’m guessing your stalker was going to take you home. Want a lift? Strictly as neighbors, I’ll even let you drive.”

“I don’t have a license.” _Or a learner's permit…_

“Alright, I’ll drive, you can hold my gun if you want, you don’t have to trust me,” he triple checked the safety was on before offering it out to her.

“You’re the first man I’ve met since moving here that hasn’t tried getting into my clothes, and at this point, I don’t have the energy to care if you did,” she truly didn’t, she was so tired of everything. “I just want to go home and make sure my brother is asleep like he should be and not up late watching Ninja Turtles again.”

“That’s sad. Not the Ninja Turtles because they’re awesome and are worth staying up late for,” he led her to the front of the store where an old gray Civic was parked. “But I don’t think I’d fit in your clothes; I’m more in the large, extra-large range.”

Dana couldn’t help but giggle, because imagining a buff man like Wade in dresses or jean shorts or heels- shit. “Damn it…”

“What?”

“I think that psycho has my work bag.”

“It doesn’t have your wallet or ID in it does it? Because if that SOB even sneezes around the apartments I’ll have to shot him for realsies.”

“No,” she patted her sides until she found the hidden zipper – did she mention her dress had _pockets_? – And pulled out a simple black wallet. “But it had my work clothes and I need them if I want to keep making money.”

“Honestly, I would consider replacing it,” he wrinkled his nose. “Even if he gives it back out of the goodness of his cold blackened heart, lord only knows what he did with it and what diseases he might have.”

She shivered at the thought. Yeah, even if he didn’t do anything to them, she’d rather not get them back, which meant she’d need to buy a new outfit which meant she would have to put off the community college at least for another week or two.

****

They arrived with no issues, and after some awkward goodbyes, Dana unlocked her apartment, making sure to lock it again when she entered. She rested her head against the door, barely registering the TV which sounded like the cooking channel.

“Dana?” Robbie called from his spot on the bed.

“Bud, I thought I said you needed to be in bed no later than nine?” she sighed, too exhausted to argue.

“I _was_ sleeping. But something woke me up and you weren’t here like you normally are, I was waiting for you…”

“Sorry, Robbie… had some problems at work,” she kneeled in front of the bed, pulling him into a hug and ran her fingers through his hair. _So close… too close, never again Robbie I promise_ she needed to get a stun gun or something.

“Did you get fired?” he asked.

“No, at least I don’t think so. Let me go change into some PJs and we’ll go to sleep.” She checked again to make sure the door was locked before grabbing some clothes and going through her routine.

After removing the makeup from her marks, she gently caressed each one to make sure they were completely clean. _Would you be ashamed of me? Would any of you even want me? I barely want myself…_

She left the bathroom and crawled into bed; Robbie immediately cuddled up to her and was asleep within minutes. She hoped for dreams filled with love and prayed the nightmares of reality stayed away.

The following Friday, Dom Walters avoided her like the plague even though the other regulars were going crazy over her new look, and if Wade – who had decided to check out the club and confirmed it definitely wasn’t his scene but would keep coming at least once a week – got a free drink every night? Well, that was just good customer service.


	2. Chapter One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's a typical Friday night for Dana until she meets someone new.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please keep in mind that Dana is currently 16/17 years old but will be of legal age before any smutty stuff happens.

_ONE YEAR LATER_

It was any normal day. Dana grabbed Robbie’s school bag and packed his lunch. Robbie sat early eating his breakfast – chocolate chip pancakes which his sister only allowed once in a blue moon because he needed to eat _healthy_ – while talking about the latest thing his class was going over.

Dana tried to salvage something for her breakfast, but she couldn’t. She only had enough for Robbie’s dinner tonight and maybe if she got lucky, a little bit for herself, unfortunately it was a slow month for work and Wade had been away for a week doing whatever his job was and wouldn’t be back until later that night or early tomorrow. She would just have to eat a lot at school today. Maybe steal a waffle, one of the guys working the café always ‘forgot’ to charge her for lunch.

“Dana,” she turned towards her brother, shaking off her hunger, giving her brother her full attention away from covering up the only mark that wasn’t hidden by her hair or clothes. “What’s that around your hand? Is it a tattoo like Mr. Wilson’s? He says it hurts a lot to get one.”

Dana smiled softly, her brother had recently started to pay more attention to small details after Wade got him hooked on crime shows much to her displeasure – eight-year-old boys had no business watching Forensic Files and she didn’t care what her he said.

“Well, Robbie, this is my soulmate’s mark. It looks like a snake doesn’t it? One day you’ll have a mark too. I think I got mine when I was nine.”

“Does it hurt?” Robbie asked, interested.

“Well,” Dana thought about it for a second. “It feels very warm, and sometimes it stings but only for a moment.”

“Why does it look like a snake?”

“I don’t know, every mark is different but maybe my soulmate likes snakes? Maybe he works at a zoo is like that guy with the crocodiles, wouldn’t that be cool? Now let’s get to school before foot traffic becomes crazy.”

Robbie finished his breakfast and grabbed his backpack without complaint. Dana also grabbed her own backpack and gave her wrist one final look over to make sure she covered it completely then locked her apartment up, and started the short walk to her brother’s school.

“What’s a soulmate?” Robbie asked as soon as they started walking.

Dana stopped to think about it. “It’s the person you’re supposed to spend the rest of your life with. The person you’re supposed to love and marry.”

It was Robbie’s turn to think. “So when do you meet him?”

Dana shook her head. “You meet them when you meet them, there isn’t a special time for it, and soulmates can be anyone.”

“Why do you cover it up?”

“Because I don’t like strangers staring at it. When I meet my soulmate I want to like him for him and not because of our marks.”

Robbie nodded his head like he understood; his face passive as if he was having a deep thought.

“Mr. Wilson isn’t your soulmate, right?”

“Nah Bud, we’re just really good friend,” though sometimes she wished he was, she still clearly remembered when he trusted her enough to tell her the truth.

_“So is your mark actually on your ass?” she asked one cold night after work._

_“No, I ahh don’t have one…” Blank Skinned or ‘Mateless’ as some like to call it, wasn’t as rare as people would like to believe, but were considered strange. They were often the villains in children’s stories, never to be redeemed._

_“Oh… and here I was hoping some kind of Disney magic was happening and you turned out to really be my soulmate,” disappointment, and a little embarrassment._

_“No, sorry but for what it’s worth, I’d be honored if it were me… and I’ll bitch slap whoever it is if they don’t appreciate who you are.”_

“That sucks, I like Mr. Wilson… I hope you meet your soulmate soon!”

Dana laughed softly, ignoring the pain in her heart. “So do I Robbie, so do I.”

They made it to Robbie’s school and he quickly made his way inside shouting his goodbyes. Dana was lucky that her brother seemed to be over his clinging stage where she couldn’t leave him alone for even a moment, granted he was only four at the time and… _He_ happened so she couldn’t blame him. She was just glad that he didn’t seem to remember much of those days.

Dana sighed softly, walking to a nearby and thankfully empty park. She rubbed her eyes for a brief second of peace, a second where her mind wasn’t running through every possible scenario or screaming at her. Glancing down at her left wrist, she caressed the serpent that lay hidden underneath the makeup, careful not to smudge it. How would she ever explain to her sweet, baby brother that she was what society dubbed a whore with seven marks? She hadn’t even been able to tell Wade – though he did know she had more than one… just not exactly how many.

She didn’t even have any idea who they could be; the marks were supposed to symbolize something about them, usually their career or a hobby but could be anything related to that person. She remembered Robbie’s dad had a musical note on his bicep but her mom wasn’t a singer except for when she was in the shower, or making breakfast, or just fighting the silence; her mom hated silence. Her mother had some kind of eagle on her hip which had something to do with her stepdad’s job… for the life of her, she couldn’t remember what mark her mom had for _Him_ though.

Dana was thankful it was Friday because that meant the club would be packed which meant if she was good tonight she’d hopefully make enough money to cover groceries for the next week or two after bills were paid and if she was _really_ good maybe some new clothes for Robbie since he was starting to grow out of his.

Dana managed to make her way to her school’s student union with twenty minutes to spare before class started. Thankfully luck was on her side today and her favorite employee greeted her from behind the counter when she entered the café. She snagged a muffin and small fruit bowl along with a bottle of water and quickly made her way to the cash register.

“Good morning,” Josh, a veteran in his fifties greeted as he scanned and bagged the items. “How are you doing today?”

“Pretty good, I’ve been studying for midterms,” she told him. _Always keep answers simple_.

“Already? Exams are still a month away,” Josh handed over the bag and waved her away. “Have a good day!”

“You too!”

****

Today was the luckiest Friday ever for Dana; her last class – English – was canceled which gave her an extra few days to edit her report that she had to rush to write, and on her way to pick up Robbie she found a ten dollar bill on the ground!

“Looks like it’s pizza for dinner!” she said, fist pumping the air. Pizza was definitely better than cold lunchmeat like she originally had planned.

Robbie happily ate his dinner while sitting in front of the TV. Dana ate several slices and rushed to take a shower before work. The water was warm at best and the pressure was practically nonexistent but it got her clean so she couldn’t complain. After drying off she applied her makeup to all of her marks, straightened her hair, and dressed up in her black dress and an old brown coat she found at a thrift store.

“What are the rules, Robbie?” she asked her brother as she slipped into a pair of flats, easier to run in than sandals and though she hadn’t had another incident, she was never taking that chance.

“Don’t answer the door to anyone except Mr. Wilson, keep the lights off and TV down, if someone breaks in hide under the bed and don’t make a sound, and if there’s a fire or if you’re not home by two-thirty go straight to Mr. Wilson’s and call his emergency phone if he’s not home,” Robbie recited.

“Very good,” she kissed his forehead and grabbed her work bag.

“Be safe, Dana!” he called to her as she left.

“I will, love you!” Dana closed and locked the door, checked thrice to make it was secure before making her way down three blocks to work.

The Underground Gentlemen’s Club was located right between the poor and rich areas of Malibu; some believed this to be a mistake, after all the average man on the poor side could hardly afford the entrance fee to such a luxurious club. But Dana knew better, with the college nearby and many broken families living in the area there was no shortage of beautiful women desperate for work, and with so many beautiful women it didn’t take long for the men from the rich neighborhoods to come line up.

Which is exactly what Dana arrives to, a long line of men and a few women was already forming around the building, but she ignored that and made her way to the back entrance and knocked on the door. The bouncer asked for ID and compared it to his list before allowing her in. You have to be on the list to work, there is no amateur night, and only girls who are pretty and clean are welcomed. It was one of the reasons it was so popular.

She quickly went to the dressing room and slipped out of her dress, leaving her in nothing but dark purple metallic booty shorts that were more like a thong, taking a matching top that had a hood and hardly covered anything out of her bag, she replaced her flats with black heels that made her several inches taller before she left to take the stage just as some new hip hop song started blasting through the speakers.

The club was busy like any other Friday night, after a few hours, Dana easily made enough to cover another month’s rent and maybe a few days worth of food. _Just a little longer…_ she thought. Just another hour or two and she’d hopefully have enough for a whole week’s worth of food. And then she spotted _him_.

Mr. Stane was one of her boss’s associates who often liked to enjoy the girls when he visited. Dana had been his pick during his last visit, the money was good but his comments were disgusting and she smelt like cigars for a whole day afterwards even after she washed. On one hand, he looked internally pissed and if she managed to get him in good spirits the tips alone would be worth the smell; on the other hand, she noticed someone else who looked like he needed help of a different kind.

Tony Stark, CEO of Stark Industries, a playboy who never had the same girl on his arm twice, looked more uncomfortable than a virgin who hadn’t come out of the closet yet. Dana took a look at Mr. Stane who was busy talking to her boss and had the international ‘don’t fucking approach me,’ stance going on, so when the music ended she quickly left the stage for the bar and grabbed two bottles of water before making her way to a very anxious CEO.

****

Tony Stark was not about to have a panic attack. More importantly, he was not about to have a panic attack in public in whatever strip joint Obadiah had dragged him to under the idea he needed to leave his mansion for a few hours at least. The only upside was Stane knew the owner and they were able to get in without a public frenzy but that wouldn’t do any good if he started panicking which he wasn’t.

“Here,” and he definitely did not just jump out of his skin right then because a dancer – a very attractive dancer at that – held out a bottle of water to him.

“I don’t like being handed things,” he said and fuck did he croak?

The dancer to her credit didn’t react simply placed the water on the side table for him to grab. And grab he did and jugged half of it down in one go.

“You don’t seem to want to be here,” she said conversationally.

“Didn’t want to leave my house, a friend decided I needed to blow off some steam.”

“Wanna hide in one of the private booths?”

Tony glanced at her. “Depends, what’s in it for you?”

“Nothing really, you just look like you need a moment,” she shrugged.

Tony tried to find Obadiah and saw him talking to another man by the bar; he saw Tony with the dancer and gave a look of approval. Fuck it, maybe this way he’ll get off his back for a bit.

“Lead the way.”

The private booth was comfortably large and the thick dark curtain muffled out a lot of the noise of the club. Tony collapsed into the oval couch and chugged the rest of his water, he looked over to see his companion take off her heels – and damn they should be a registered weapon! – And joined him on the couch, respectfully on the other side.

Nothing was said for several minutes; Tony could feel his heart rate even out and decided now was a good time to talk without a filter.

“So let me guess, med school?”

“Nope,” the dancer – he really needed to get her name – said popping the ‘p’. “Community college, Computer Science with a few Law classes.”

“Interesting, you going to transfer afterward?” This is probably the longest he talked to someone wearing so little clothes that he wasn’t trying to charm her out of.

“Hopefully, if I can get a scholarship or something, this job is the only one I have and it barely pays rent and feeding two mouths.”

“Child?”

“Brother,” why was she telling a stranger that she didn’t know.

“Okay, one more question because I’ve been calling you the dancer in my head all this time, what is your name?” he threw his empty bottle into the recycling can. “Real or stripper.”

“My official club name is Belladonna hence the purple, but some of the other girls call me Unique. Can you guess why?”

Tony stared at her for a moment. Hair looked normal – he did wonder if it was as soft as it looked – her eyes were a normal shade of green kind of like fresh cut grass, her skin looked clear-.

“You don’t have any marks,” he said.

“I do,” Belladonna giggled. “But I have it covered up.”

“Makeup can’t cover up marks, it just bleeds through.”

“I made my own. It’s not perfect but it works better than anything you can find in a store.”

“Really?” the possibilities ran through his head. The biggest issue against soulmate abuse was ‘traditionalists’ tracking down victims by their mark and forcing them back to their abuser, but if it was possible to cover up marks… “What are you doing tomorrow- today? Is it morning yet? It feels like morning, maybe we should get breakfast and talk-”

“Talk about what?” Belladonna asked. She didn’t look weird out or annoyed by his rambling which was a plus, not many people can handle his constant talking right away.

“A job. Well, a better job. How about you meet me for breakfast and we’ll go over your miracle cover up? You can bring your brother too, I’m good with kids don’t let the media fool you.”

“You… don’t even know who I am.”

“I know you are probably the most intelligent stripper I’ve talked to in all my life and you’ve potentially created something that could save many lives and I’m not above bribing beautiful women to get what I want – that sounded less perverted in my head – but seriously, have breakfast with me and at least think it over.”

“Okay, but how would we meet?” she asked. “I can’t afford a cell phone and no way in hell am I showing you where I live.”

“I can drop you off somewhere near your place and you can meet me there-” Tony glanced at his phone which read one in the morning. “At about nine o’clock.”

“Deal, meet me outside, and Mr. Stark?”

“Tony.”

“Dana.”

“What?”

“My name is Dana, Dana Freeborn,” she told him.

“… Your parents were hippies weren’t they?”


	3. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dana and Tony have Breakfast and Tony finds something.

Dana was anxious. She hardly slept for four hours before she rushed around the apartment looking for decent looking clothes for her and Robbie to wear. In the end, she caved and let her brother wear his favorite Jurassic Park t-shirt with a pair of jeans while she tried to find something that looked professional but didn’t scream desperation even if she kind of was and settled on black slacks and a white blouse that she didn’t remember buying which meant Wade probably did and snuck it in her clothes.

Speaking of Wade, he was very skeptical about the whole thing.

“I’m not saying Stark is a bad guy… but yeah Bonds United has a lot of ties with many different businesses,” he warned her, secretly debating if he should follow behind in his car.

“I’ll be fine, worst case scenario we waste each other’s time, he has no idea where or what my soulmark is so it’s not like he can falsely report me as a runaway mate.”

Now Dana and Robbie were standing on the corner just a block away from the apartment where Tony Stark dropped her off earlier and was supposed to pick them up

any moment now. 

“Dana?” she looked down at her brother who nervously looked around the street. “Is Mr. Stark your soulmate?”

“I don’t think so Bud, why?” Dana tilted her head.

“You never talk about or go see anyone from work except for Mr. Wilson.”

“T-that’s because… well…” _They are not the kind of people I want to be friends with._ “Everyone at work is very busy in the day, and Mr. Stark doesn’t work there he was just visiting.”

“Oh,” that seemed to satisfy him.

Thankfully Dana was spared any more awkward topics when a black Rolls Royce pulled up and a familiar face popped out the driver side window. Tony Stark looked like he got less sleep than Dana which was true, he was up the rest of the early morning running background checks and semi-fighting Obadiah and Pepper.

_“When I said you needed to blow off some steam Tony I meant have a few drinks, get a few dances, not actually leave with a stripper!” Obadiah said taking a swig of scotch._

_“Nothing happened,” he assured him not really looking up from his work. “It was cold so I drove her near her apartment. I didn’t actually see or go in it. And before you ask, nothing happened in my car either.”_

_“Tony, do you seriously think an exotic dancer could figure out something the companies scientists haven’t been able to?” Pepper came to him with a deadpan expression she saved for when she thought he was doing something foolish._

_“I think she would have better motivation than a scientist who doesn’t have to worry about a stranger killing them because they saw their mark and got angry.”_

How many times had the news reported a stripper or prostitute being assaulted or even murdered by a soulmate they never met before because of what they were doing to survive? Necessity is the mother of invention so they say.

“Good morning,” he greeted.

“Good morning, Mr. Stark,” Dana smiled before turning to look at her brother. “Robbie?”

Robbie shyly waved to the man. “Good morning, it’s very nice to meet you, Mr. Stark.”

“It’s nice to meet you too kid,” Tony smiled. “Now I promised breakfast so how about you two hop in and we go find the best pancakes in the world?”

The promise of pancakes was enough to get Robbie excited and he immediately went to sit in the back while Dana contemplated sitting with him or up front with Tony. In the end, he made the decision for her by asking her to sit beside him so they could talk while he drove.

“I brought some of the makeup with me,” Dana told him, nervous and not sure what to say. “I can show you how it works after breakfast.”

“Great,” Tony said, keeping his eyes on the road, he had a kid in the car after all. “And maybe you can tell me how you managed to do something scientists still say is impossible.”

“Believe it or not Mr. Stark, there are a lot of scientists and people with scientists in their pockets who don’t want it to be possible.”

He knew it already but still the idea that supposedly smart people who swore to help the public would be so closed-minded pissed him off. The idea that you were forced to stay in a relationship simply because of a mark even if your mate was abusive or you found love in someone else was idiotic and in some cases inhumane. The Bonds United group was the worst of it all, those jackasses had people hunting down runaways and forcing them back to their mate, and it was all perfectly legal.

Tony swore if this turned out to be the real deal he’d use all the money from it to help victims and fight back against the traditionalists.

He was brought out of his dark thoughts when they arrived at a diner he frequented because like he said they had the best pancakes and he was rarely bothered when he eating which was a plus because who wants to answer dumbass questions when eating chicken and waffles? He parked in front and waited patiently for his guests before they both went in.

“Two adults,” he told the hostess, a nice middle-aged woman who may be living under a rock because it took several visits before she recognized him. “And a munchkin.”

“I’m eight years old,” Robbie pouted. He knew he was small for his age but his sister assured him he’d grow in time.

They were led to a quiet table further away into the diner, after they placed their ordered Tony waited until they were alone before turning back to the conversation. “So how exactly did you come up with it, then?”

“It was actually my mother who made it before I was even born,” She spared a glance at Robbie who was busy coloring on a kids coloring page the hostess gave him. “She was a chemist before she met her first soulmate and he forced her to quit to be his housewife.”

“Did she leave him?”

“Impossible in those days I’m sure you know, it took her until I was about three to leave for good, and then she met her second soulmate and had Robbie.”

_And then_ He _ruined everything…_

Their orders arrived and Robbie immediately dived into his plate of pancakes with strawberries and chocolate chips, Dana snorted and showed more control eating her big omelet, Tony outright laughed and sipped his coffee before taking a bite out of his waffle. They started talking about random topics and after they were finished with breakfast Tony invited them to his Malibu house where he had a lab and could look over the cover-up in private. Also, some patrons were starting to stare and it was annoying, especially that one guy who kept staring at Dana.

Back into the car and a peaceful drive later they arrived at a beautiful mansion overlooking the ocean. Robbie stared at the massive house in awe and even Dana was speechless.

“JARVIS, I’m home!” Tony called out as soon as they entered. The windows automatically brightened allowing the sun to seep through.

“Welcome Sir,” spoke a British voice, causing Sir’s guests to jump.

“Who’s that?” Robbie asked.

“That is JARVIS; he’s an AI – like a very smart computer but he acts more human than a lot of humans I know.”

“Thank you, Sir.”

“Wow… neat,” Robbie glanced around in wonder.

“So sprout me and your sister are going to be having a long and boring adult talk, but I have a tablet here with a bunch of games and puzzles if you’re interested?”

“Okay, I’m really good at puzzles,” Robbie accepted the device and made himself comfortable on the couch.

Tony made sure JARVIS would keep an eye on so he didn’t get frustrated at the more complicated ones, after that he and Dana moved into the kitchen where she took out a small container with what looked like regular foundation on it and a clean sponge as well as the ingredient list and instructions on how to make it, written in her mother’s hand.

“And this is all you use to cover up your mark?” Tony asked as he examined the contents while glancing at the list. It was complicated enough that an average person wouldn’t have come up with it but simple enough that scientists should have a long time ago. “Can I see you use it?”

“Alright,” she started unbuttoning the top of her blouse.

“Ah or maybe I could try it so you don’t have to strip – not that you aren’t attractive but I’m trying to be a gentleman-” really he was, and fuck anyone who tried to say otherwise.

“I’m not taking my shirt off Tony, my mark is on my chest and I’m pretty sure the shade is a little light for you,” Dana sighed; thankfully she covered the one over her heart so the cog was the only one visible, maybe she should have chosen the snake instead? But something about this one felt right.

Tony was staring, at her chest, but not _at_ her chest – gentleman remember? – What was on her chest and he felt his own chest constrict. A single cog laid almost in the exact same spot the arc reactor was – or would if he was a woman and had breasts but that would have made his time in captivity much more complicated and wow he has never been more thankful to be born with a penis – but that simple little mark called out to him like a siren and Dana was suddenly staring at him with a raised eyebrow.

“See something you like?”

“That… wasn’t there yesterday.” No shit, Captain fucking Obvious he had a really nice view last night.

“No. and in a minute it won’t be there again,” she gently dabbed the sponge into the foundation and carefully blended it into her skin, almost instantly the cog was covered and Tony had to fight the urge to wash the makeup away, when she was finished it was as if it was never there.

“Amazing,” was all he could say. Fuck he needed to get his head together. “How long does it last? Is it waterproof?”

“I’ve managed a whole day with only minimum touch ups, and no it’s not waterproof; which makes rainy days an absolute pain in the ass.”

“I need to make a quick phone call, help yourself to a drink and I think there might be some juice in the fridge too.”

Tony rushed as fast as he could without actually running and locked himself in his bedroom. _Shit, shit, fuck, shit…_ he paced the way to the bed from the door and back several times before cutting halfway and standing in front of a full-size mirror. Lifting his shirt he caught sight of a scale on top of his waist with a roman numeral seven being balanced. He had it since he was nine and Howard Stark damn near disowned him when he discovered it because the roman numerals meant his soulmate had others besides him and Stark men don’t share. Maria learned that the hard way.

“JARVIS,” he breathed out, gently touching his mark. “Call Pepper, please.”

His ever faithful assistant and really she deserved a raise for putting up with him answered after the second ring.

**“Yes, Tony?”**

“Pepper, how has your day been?” and he was deflecting already.

**“Tony what happened?”** and of course Pepper wasn’t buying it either. **“You were supposed to be meeting with your new ‘friend’ please tell me she didn’t drug you up and rob you.”**

“No! no, no,” _How dare she_ \- stop. “Everything is fine, I looked at the cover-up and saw her use it and it _works_ Pepper, it’s like the mark isn’t even there.”

**“That’s great Tony! But… why did you call me? You should be trying to work out a deal for producing it! Or do I need to work out the paperwork for that?”**

“I… think she’s my soulmate Pep.”

**“… Don’t you dare joke about this Tony,”** She sighed and he could just imagine her rubbing her eyes. **“You said that when you slept with that lawyer and she told you, you were her soulmate and then you just went and believed her!”**

“In my defense, I had no idea what it felt like meeting your soulmate so I had no reason not to believe her,” plus her mark looked like a shot glass and he was an alcoholic so the ball was in her court… until she got assigned to her real alcoholic soulmate. “But this is different. I saw her mark and… it just clicked. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do Pepper.”

**“… Oh god she’s the real deal, isn’t she? Just… just be her friend first Tony, see what kind of woman she is off the stage.”**

Right, friends first, maybe they weren’t even compatible because screw what Bonded United said soulmates sometimes made better friends than lovers.

“Thanks, Pep, I owe you a promotion,” and then he hung up and took a deep breath before exiting his room, he needed a drink- wait no, minor present, bad Tony! Dana was sitting at the counter watching Robbie solve puzzles while sipping a bottle of water, he decided to follow her lead and grabbed one himself.

“Phone call went okay?” Dana asked him, noting how he seemed nervous and twitchy.

“My assistant decided to remind me of the boring, tedious parts of running a business, which would be paperwork and contracts, I’ll spare you the details partly because I don’t actually have the paperwork with me which might seem unprofessional but that’s why I have an assistant but what it all comes down to,” he took a deep breath and held up the cover-up. She was amazed he hadn’t passed out yet. “I want to mass produce _this_ , and of course you will get a crap ton of the money generated from it as a partner.”

“Do you treat all your business partners like this?”

“Only the ones I like.”

“Okay,” she chuckled. “I have no idea how business works so I’ll leave it to you to make sure I’m not selling my soul or anything. I do have one request though.”

“Name it,” he said instantly, moving in closer. Her mark was still covered and he was somewhat thankful for that because it made thinking easier.

“I want to name it after my mother, Liberty.”

****

“So how was Stark’s mansion?” Wade asked, refraining from playing twenty questions. He had spent however many minutes they were there thinking up every possible and not so possible scenario.

“Big, like huge,” she told him extending her arms out. “I’m jealous plus he has a computer butler.”

“AI,” Robbie corrected, he liked JARVIS he let him play the harder puzzles and didn’t talk down to him.

“AI,” Dana agreed, turning back to Wade whose jaw looked like it was locked. “We talked about my foundation; he wants to produce it and wants me to be a partner in on it.”

“That’s… good, I mean shi- shoot this could mean you won’t have to work and let’s face facts you were born to wear a suit.”

“Dang it, I don’t have a suit...”


	4. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony saves Dana at work and they spend a night signing papers, meanwhile trouble is coming for Dana.

Tony was exhausted. After dropping off Dana and Robbie he called Pepper again with details to add to the contract, spent some time toying with the flight stabilizers for his secret project, and started recreating the cover-up to see if there were any improvements he could make – Dana mentioned it wasn’t waterproof – by the time he returned upstairs the sky already had faint traces of the rising sun.

Grabbing a leftover slice of pizza he turned and noticed the tablet Robbie was playing with was on the couch and grabbed it, before freezing at the screen.

“JARVIS?”

“Yes, Sir?”

“Were you helping the kid solve this one?” he stared at the near-finished math puzzle that was intended for college-level brains.

“No, Sir. He seemed quite skilled at the simpler mathematics and asked for a more challenging one.”

So the munchkin had a way with numbers, he wondered if Dana knew how smart her brother really was, he’ll have to ask her next time they spoke – which reminded him she seriously needed a phone, especially if they were going to be doing business together – saving the puzzle he plugged it into a charger and decided to try and get at least an hour of sleep if only to pacify Pepper when she came.

****

Dana meanwhile had gotten up early despite working until two in the morning to take Robbie clothes shopping, which she both loathed and looked forward too. She hated having to rely on thrift stores that were always dirty and smelled like cigarettes and beer where creeps ogled her, but she loved Robbie’s face whenever he saw something cool.

Today she managed to find him a very nice shirt for picture day, a red shirt with black scratch marks to add to his ever-increasing Jurassic Park collection and a few pairs of shorts. She also got herself one professional looking outfit because apparently, she was going to be a business partner and like hell was she going to embarrass Tony by dressing up as a starving borderline homeless stripper, even if she technically was one.

Next, they stopped by a shoe store because she refused to let her little brother wear used shoes, it was expensive, yes but it was where she drew the line.

“Dana,” Robbie started, as they made their way back home. “Are we going to see Mr. Stark again?”

“Maybe, me and him are going to be working together,” Dana told him. For some reason thinking about Tony made her happy. “Why?”

“I liked him, he was nice... I wish he was your soulmate so that he could be my big brother.”

“That would be amazing wouldn’t it?” she would never have to worry about food ever again, people would look at her with respect maybe even envy instead of pity or lust, and Tony; despite what all the magazines say, was so kind. He would make a great father and husband someday to whoever was lucky enough to have him.

She stopped herself from thinking about it; she had no time for silly fantasies. She forced all thoughts about Tony out of her head and spent the rest of the day studying.

Monday came and went uneventfully and she managed to score an A on her English assignment. Tuesday she woke up early because the couple above their apartment were either trying to kill each or were having some mind-blowing sex, or maybe both, but she and Robbie were used to it and all his questions were answered with a simple “some people are just weird, Robbie, now finish your cereal,” and they left early to play at the park before school started, even roping Wade – who was on his way to bang down the door and scream about how some people liked sleep and probably some other things Robbie didn’t need hear – into joining them. By the time Friday hit she was exhausted and debated if it was possible to skip work that night but of course that wouldn’t do they needed all the money she could get.

So she swung her hips and swirled around the pole to the beat of whatever song was playing, she was honestly too tired to pay attention. It was an hour later that her boss called her over.

“Someone is requesting you in booth number one,” he said. Dana nodded and skipped to the private booths. It most likely was a group, possibly a bachelor party which never made any sense to her, and she had to wonder how many of those grooms-to-be were still married.

However, a pair of hands grabbed her shoulders and pulled her into a different booth – booth number two – and slammed her against the wall. Shock and panic rose in her stomach as she realized who it was.

“Can I help you with something, Mr. Walters?” she asked with disdain. Last time she spoke to him he tried to bribe her with her old clothes, unfortunately his whole body suddenly had a spasm and she was able to reclaim her belongings… most of which she burned.

“Oh, absolutely,” he breathed against her neck, pushing his groin against hers. She froze at the feeling of his erection pressed against her thigh. “But first Baby, you can show me your mark.”

“My mark is none of your damn business!” she snarled and attempted to shove him away only to have his hand suddenly wrapped around her throat.

“Do not lie to me, that jackass who claimed he was your mate hasn’t been around for a little bit… did he realize his mistake? That it’s actually my mark on your body? That’s why you’ve been avoiding me isn’t it? Too embarrassing to admit you were wrong,” he ignored her attempts to remove his hand and gently caressed her leg. “Stubborn bitch, I could’ve taken you away from this life by now…”

He reached the side of her shorts and started pulling them down, more and more of her skin was revealed yet still no mark. Where was it? It had to be somewhere. Unfortunately for him, he would never figure out the truth because a fist connected to his face and send him flying into the couch.

“You know, just because the lady is paid to dance in her underwear doesn’t mean you can treat her like trash!” Tony Stark sneered, his usual sarcastic self gone. He offered Dana his hand which she gratefully took and they left Dom behind. “Let’s get out of here.”

“I have a guest to see Tony,” Dana coughed a little, her throat sore from being choked.

“That was me, and I say we blow this joint.”

“Let me go change, I’ll meet you out back.”

Tony was reluctant to let her go, especially after she was just attacked but obviously, she couldn’t go out wearing that purple getup that he was going to talk her into burning, because fuck this place and fuck people staring at her like a piece of meat. If he had his way tonight – today? He glanced at his phone which read only ten-thirty, okay so tonight – she wouldn’t need to step foot in this place again. He quickly left through the side entrance and immediately spotted his car, by the time Dana came out in her little black dress and old coat the car was already comfortably cool.

“I almost forgot to thank you, Tony,” she said as she slid into the passenger seat, placing her bag in between her legs and letting out a long sigh as she let herself relax.

“You don’t need to, that guy was an asshole. How often does that happen?” Images of dead girls invaded his mind, how close was she to joining them? Who would take care of Robbie if she died?

“Second time, the first time he kidnapped me but I managed to get away…” and then she started to giggle uncontrollably and Tony was worried she might be suffering some kind of oxygen deprivation.

“What?”

“I’ve seen Dom’s mark and it’s definitely not mine,” she took a deep breath before continuing. “It looks like a riding crop.”

“Kinky,” Tony said not letting himself show how thrilled he is, knowing that asshole wasn’t another one of her soulmates. Did she know any of the others? He overheard Dom the Ass mention someone else claiming to be hers.

“Yep, he dabbles in the BDSM scene and likes to think himself a dominant but… the first and only time I gave him a lap dance I had him immobile and he came in his pants… been obsessed with me ever since.”

Tony cackled because come on, even as a horny fourteen-year-old in college he had more tact and restraint. As he switched lanes he realized something.

“How did you immobilize him?”

“I… just can, it’s like a gift. I focus and they become paralyzed or spasm… or whatever else I want them to do,” she frowned when she realized they weren’t going towards the usual drop off area. “Most of the time they chalk it up to poor health and actually go see a doctor for the first time in years, which I guess is better than the alternative.”

“Like being ousted as a mutant.”

“Yeah. Where exactly are we going?” She quickly changed the subject.

“Well I was going to go over the contract with you while you were working but I’ve decided we can do that under the moonlight at that little park close to where I drop you off at,” he pulled into the familiar parking lot and right underneath one of the few working street lamps.

“If I didn’t know better Mr. Stark, I would think you were trying to romance me,” Dana joked.

“Maybe I am. Is it working?”

“... Maybe.” Yes.

So they spent the next half hour sitting at a worn table with nothing but the light from Tony’s phone illuminating the pages as he discussed what everything meant, how much she would get from it, and even settled on a design concept. “Simple would be best since it’s going to be marketed towards men and women,” by the time she had signed everything – and there was a lot to sign – her wrist was stiff and her ass was numb from the uncomfortable bench.

“Just one more thing, before I drop you off,” Tony told her as they reached the designated corner. He reached into the glove box and pulled out a phone and handed it to her.

“Tony…” there was no way she could accept something so expensive – and it was a Stark phone so it was definitely expensive – but he wouldn’t hear it.

“We are partners now and partners need to stay in touch,” he told her, handing her the small box that contained a charger and the manual. “There are also a few puzzles on there for your brother; he wasn’t kidding when he said he was good at them.”

“Robbie’s very smart,” she said proudly. “He’s going to achieve a lot when he grows up. More than me that’s for sure.”

“Maybe, maybe not, but it’ll be because of you that he can.”

“Thanks, Tony,” she reached over and hugged him and it felt so right it was almost painful letting go, but she had to and so she did and climbed out. “Goodnight!”

“Good _morning_!” he waved to her, waiting until she was out of sight before driving away. He didn’t like this area but knew asking her to move was out of the question right now.

****

Rumors of a miracle soulmark concealer spread quickly. Many politicians and religious leaders argued that such a thing was a disgrace, because God gave you your marks for a reason and purposely hiding them was an insult to his plan, the Chairmen of Bonds United tried to claim such a thing was illegal or unconstitutional, some members even urged people to carry around water because who knows that waiter delivering your food might be your soulmate hiding their mark. But no matter how many lawyers or church protestors there were, Liberty Cosmetics was released to the public and much to the horror of the traditionalists, it was completely waterproof. Within weeks it was dubbed the number one makeup concealer in the United States and that was looking to repeat once it was available overseas.

“This is insane,” Dana remarked watching a news program declare her mother’s cover-up a miracle product. _If only you could see this Mom…_

“This is the beginning of new rights for soulmates,” Tony told her, handing her a glass of cranberry juice – no alcohol because Robbie was sitting across the room. He paused when the reporters brought up a picture taken from the last charity event of him dancing with a woman in red.

He invited Dana because the event was also bringing awareness to soulmate abuse and wanted Dana to get a feel for it since the two of them would be working together. That was how she met Pepper when Tony asked her to help Dana get ready and even offered to watch Robbie while the two women went shopping with his Starkcard. He should have known his assistant would pull out all the guns.

He hadn’t seen Dana at all after she left with Pepper, Robbie was fast asleep at the mansion with JARVIS and even Rhodey watching over him – again, he should have realized Rhodey offered after Pepper explained who Dana and Robbie were – and just as he was starting to get bored and wondering if he could get away with one drink he saw _her_.

Pepper had dressed her in a very classy short sleeved red dress with lace accenting the top, her hair was let down in loose waves and instead of her more natural makeup, she was wearing a bold shade of red lipstick. He didn’t even know how much he liked red until he saw her in it.

“Mr. Stark,” Dana ignored all the other patrons and made her way to him, a fact that made him smile.

“Ms. Freeborn,” he offered his arm and she took it gladly. The moved around the gala and spoke to those Tony considered decent enough – like Mr. Wayne and Dr. Strange – and tried to tactfully avoid those he would rather use for target practice with his newest thing – like Mr. Luthor and the other Dr. Strange… the psychiatrist – he also introduced her to Obadiah who apparently didn’t recognize her with clothes on.

At some point, music started playing and then they were dancing, and for the first time that he could remember he was actually enjoying himself.

He glanced at her; she was still staring at the television with hope and pride in her eyes. He needed to tell her the truth soon because he wasn’t sure how long he could pretend seeing her didn’t make his arc reactor feel lighter. He didn’t know if she would reciprocate, but he needed to take that chance. But first, he needed to take care of some unfinished business in the Middle East.

Dana had never felt so safe before, before she was always looking over her shoulder, expecting to see a pair of dead eyes coming to finish what he started. But here with Tony, it was like being in a warm heaven that evil could never hope to reach.

****

Elsewhere, a trucker spots a lone figure walking alongside a deserted road. Cautiously he stopped and glanced at what was an older man wearing a grey t-shirt and jeans and hulling a big duffle bag.

“Sir?” he called out and the man stopped and turned. “Do you want a ride somewhere? The nearest rest stop is several miles ahead.”

The man suddenly smiled, but there was something off about it. “If you don’t mind, I’m trying to visit my daughter; I haven’t seen her in _so_ long…”


	5. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony tries to gather courage to tell Dana the truth, Dana has a nightmare and her past comes back with a vengance.

Summer break had started for Dana, though Robbie still had one more week to go so she took advantage of that free time and did things she normally wouldn’t be able to. First, she scrubbed the apartment from top to bottom, finding a lone sock and a few candy wrappers under the bed, and an empty box of cereal that somehow got put back in the cupboard. She even poured bleach down all the drains because last year they had huge ass roaches coming from the pipes.

_Maybe it’s time to move?_ She wondered. _Somewhere… cleaner and I’m sure Robbie would appreciate having his own room._

She knew she could move right now if she wanted, her least was almost up and she had already saved up a ton of money from her share with Liberty Cosmetics which was still trending on every news station. But she was scared, what if things went south and she suddenly couldn’t afford the new rent? Maybe she should wait a little longer to see what happens; maybe she should ask Tony for his advice.

Speaking of Tony, Dana had decided one day to stop by his place right after dropping of Robbie and surprise him with coffee and – after texting Pepper for suggestions – his favorite pastry… because he was her friend and in many cases, her savior, and the least she could do was bring him something every once in a while, and it had absolutely nothing to do with her wanting to spend time with him… nothing at all.

When the taxi dropped her off the inside of the house was silent, which didn’t bother her because she learned pretty quickly Tony spent most of his time in his soundproof lab. But as she made her way downstairs she heard what sounded like a struggle.

“It is a tight fit, Sir,” was that JARVIS?

“Hey- Ah!” that was definitely Tony.

“Sir, the more you struggle the more this is going to hurt.”

“Be gentle. This is my first time.”

Dana froze, unsure if she wanted to go ahead and see what was going on. Tony was a grown ass man and if he wanted to have sex with his machines that was his business – and personally she thought it was better than him sleeping with another woman – but she had coffee and a fresh cinnamon roll so she cautiously peered through the – broken – glass window to find her boss suspended in the air, as his robots attempted to remove a red metal suit.

Tony spotted her and froze; this was definitely not how he wanted her to find out about his new side job.

“Let’s face it,” he told her. “Ask Pepper and she’ll tell you this is not the worst thing you could catch me doing.”

“Well, it’s not the kinky thing I was imagining,” she quipped.

“That’s not what JARVIS is for, how dare you.”

“I bring caffeine and sugar.”

“I love you, marry me.” Tony froze. _Shit, no- fuck!_

“Thank you,” Dana seemed to not catch his horror, her cheeks only slightly pink. “I love you too, but personally I’m a sucker for drawn out romances, so no marriage yet.”

****

Tony sat shirtless, eating his cinnamon roll while Dana rubbed a bruise salve over his aching muscles. He made sure to cover his mark because he wasn’t ready to tell her the truth yet; hell he wasn’t sure if he’ll ever be ready to tell her, it’s not like in those cliché romances where Michael Fassbender with his perfect fucking face somehow manages to seduce the woman despite his past – yes, he watched Jane Eyre. He was drunk and Pepper had it recorded damn it! – The point was Tony had no idea how to bring it up without sounding possessive or creepy.

“You’re thinking too loudly, Tony,” Dana said as she gently caressed a massive bruise on his shoulder.

“I don’t have a secret, crazy wife in my attic,” _What the fuck brain?!_

“I don’t think you have an attic, but that’s nice to know.”

Tony stared at her; most people would be disturbed or pissed at his constant and often times bizarre ramblings. Hell, even Pepper and Rhodey could only handle so much, but her? She acted like he was talking about the weather like it was… normal.

“Have you started summer break yet?”

“I have yes, Robbie will in a few days.”

“Ever been to Disney? We should totally take him to Disney,” _And take candid photos, pull our hair out on It’s A Small World… can you sleep in the castle or is that Florida? I can totally take them to Florida for the weekend just to say we slept in a castle._

“I’ve been once but he hasn’t, I’m sure he’d love it,” she smiled sweetly and that basically sealed the deal. He’d figure out what the hell Obadiah is doing, give him to the authorities like that suit from SHIELD that’s been following him, and spent a weekend with Dana and Robbie riding Space Mountain.

_I’ll tell her then_ he promised himself.

****

_“Zelda, dear, can you take Teddy to the park for a little bit?” Dad asked, “He’s been very hyper and I need to help your mother with something.”_

_“Okay, Daddy,” truthfully I didn’t want to, because it was my birthday – my thirteenth birthday which is important because I’m not a child anymore I’m a teenager – and I didn’t want to spend it with my little brother who gets all the attention because he’s so smart. But I knew they were trying to be sneaky about my cake and presents, so I could put up with Teddy for a little while._

_The park was in the middle of the neighborhood and was pretty empty because it was kind of late, I put Teddy down and let him climb on the baby stuff, following closely in case he tripped or fell. I wonder what kind of presents I’ll get; maybe a Harry Potter book, I read some of the first one in the library and have been begging Mom to buy it for me, maybe I’ll read it to Luke and Lisa before bed._

_After almost an hour, I was ready to go home, I was tired of chasing Teddy around and listening to him talk on and on and why do four-year-olds say so much when they know so little?! But the closer I came to our house, the more afraid I felt… why did I feel afraid? Mom and Dad were probably waiting for me with balloons, and Luke and Lisa probably had those silly party horns. But I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong… cautiously I opened the door, not even bothering to knock like we’re supposed to; the living room was empty, a box of purple decorations lay tipped over._

_“Mom,” I called out, she knows I hate scary movies this is not a good surprise! “Dad?”_

_There was noise coming from the kitchen, so quietly I stepped in and froze. Was that ketchup? No too dark, icing? I’ve never seen icing look so much like… blood and- oh my god… that was Lisa’s blood! My baby sister was laying on the floor stiller than I’ve ever seen her, her pretty blue dress was completely soaked and red now! Where was Luke? Where was anyone?!_

_“Zelda!” I jumped, who was that? Mom crawled from behind the island; a big duffle bag in her hand… her shirt wasn’t wet and red before._

_“Momma-”_

_“Go,” she gasped thrusting the bag at me, it was the family emergency bag. “Take care of your brother and go.”_

_“What happened, Momma? Where are Luke and Dad?”_

_A noise could be heard from upstairs, it sounded like something heavy hitting the floor, what sounded like footsteps started making their way towards the stairs._

_“Nevaeh!” Mom screeched as the footsteps got closer, she hasn’t called me that since… “Take your brother and GO!”_

_I had the bag and was out the door before she even finished, I don’t know where I’m supposed to go, but anywhere was better than there. I didn’t stop until I was back at the park; I spared one last glance at my home and regretted it. Standing in the front door covered in blood, staring straight at me with a look of pure hatred was my Father._

****

Dana woke with a start, at first she thought there was an earthquake until she realized it was just her. She covered her face and wept, she glanced at Robbie’s sleeping face and only saw Luke and cried some more. It was easier to look at him when he was awake; Dana and Lisa took after their mother while Luke and Robbie looked just like their dad, their dad, not Dana’s. Asleep he looked far too much like another boy she knew.

She checked the time on her phone; five-thirty on a Saturday, so early but she couldn’t stand being in bed one moment longer so she carefully climbed out and grabbed a pair of clothes before tip-toeing into the bathroom. The water was cold, it was hardly ever anything else but it woke her up the rest of the way and allowed her to think. She hadn’t had a nightmare about that day in so long even on the anniversary, so why was her brain fucking with her now? Did it think she was forgetting? As if. She’ll never forget.

She scrubbed the remains of sleep off of her and after drying off dressed in a floral summer dress that hid all of her marks except for the one on her chest, which she covered with makeup – and she’ll never get used to being able to just buy it in a store instead of making it herself! – And decided to start on breakfast with the TV on low. _Or maybe I should wait and see if Tony wants to go have breakfast, Robbie loves spending time with him_.

But Tony had his own life, and truthfully he’s been behaving weird, at least in her opinion. Maybe he had a girl, like an actual girl who stayed and wore his clothes and brought him breakfast down in the lab when he was working? For some reason, that thought made Dana sad.

**“A gruesome discovery was made late last night at this truck stop just outside of Malibu, California,”** the news reporter said. **“Security was notified of an abandoned semi but when they went to investigate, they discovered the remains of the driver. Eyewitnesses state a second man was seen leaving the vehicle shortly after the truck arrived.”**

**“This guy – I saw him get out the driver’s side so I just assumed the truck was his – came into the store and bought some protein bars, water, and a sandwich from the deli; he looked like any other guy here but his eyes… man, his eyes were just… like he was already dead inside. You know?”**

Dana shivered. Some people were just fucked up. She shut off the TV and was about to say fuck it and make pancakes when her phone binged. A text message from Tony inviting them out to breakfast at around eight, she couldn’t help but smile as she accepted and decided to wait waking up her brother.

****

They say all great things must come to an end. Breakfast with Tony was amazing, and he promised to make good on his suggestion next week, because he was about to fix everything wrong with his company – what was wrong with it she didn’t ask but trusted his judgment – however, as the day whined down and Robbie was going on and on about what was happening on TV, she suddenly felt as if she was punched in the gut.

“Dana?”

A sense of dread enveloped her and she found it hard to breathe. He was here, oh god he found her he was here she needed to get out she needed to- _“GO!”_ with her mother’s voice in her head she quickly ran to the front door and made sure it was locked and that the curtains were drawn before running into the bedroom and grabbing the familiar black duffle bag that was now worn with age, she stuffed a few extra clothes in and thanked whatever deity was real she bought water and snacks that she kept in it too.

“Dana, what’s going on?” Robbie sounded worried, he can’t remember ever seeing her like this, and of course not he was always too young to remember.

“We’re going to play a game, Robbie, Okay?” she ushered him into the bathroom and locked it, turning the sink on she went and pulled the window glass out – thank God for cheap landlords who don’t replace shit – and shoved the bag through. Next was her bewildered brother who thankfully didn’t ask questions. Not yet, not now. And lastly, she joined them behind the dirty apartment building.

It was dark, which didn’t help her nerves as she quietly led them through the unkempt bushes and weeds. A loud crash echoed behind her and she pulled herself and her brother behind a dumpster, making sure to cover her brother’s mouth to keep him quiet. For a moment nothing happened, but a lone figure looked outside her old bathroom window and- _Oh God can he see us?_

After what felt like ages, he moved away from the window, and Dana fastened the bag around her shoulder, grabbed her brothers hand, and ran. How did he know where she lived? Where was she going to go now? Tony? Tony could help her at least lay low but that would mean telling him the truth, and she didn’t think she would ever be ready for that. She was nearly hit by a car dashing across the street, however the driver got out and she was thankful for who it was.

“Mr. Wilson!” Robbie cried.

Wade had been gone for ages on a complicated job, she honestly had started to wonder if he’d ever come back or if maybe he found someone and decided to stay. He immediately ushered them into his car and sped away.

“Thank whatever holy deity you believe in you weren’t working tonight, Dana,” Wade told her, knuckles white on the stirring wheel.

“I don’t work at the club anymore, I’ve been working with Tony since shortly after you left, what happened?” Dana asked.

“Someone tried to kill that fu- Dom Walters, almost sliced his neck open with a broken bottle! I think it was… _him_ ,” Wade was the only one who knew the full story. “Some guy was asking around for you at first I thought he was a regular but Dom got all in his face about him being your mate and that he needed to fu- leave, guy just went nuts and even attacked one of the bouncers before he fled taking another girl with him… nobody knows where she is yet.”

Dana felt as if she was dumped in ice water. How did he find her where she worked? How did he find where she _lived_? Unless…

“Candy… he must have taken Candy… he broke into my apartment and she’s the only one who knows where it is from that time you brought her over to your place.”

Wade starred at her in alarm. “Fu- Da- Jesus Christ! I thought I kept that on the down low. What are you going to do?”

“Robbie how would you like to ride a train?” she turned to her silent brother.

“Where would it take us?” he asked instead.

“Let’s see,” she pulled out her phone which was becoming her second favorite gadget. It was like having a mini computer in her hands. She looked at the Amtrak schedule. “How about New York? We could see the Statue of Liberty!”

“And the big museum? Like in the movie?”

“Absolutely!” she quickly checked and thankfully there were still space available.

“You can’t keep running, Dana…” Wade told her.

“Yes I can… I have to…”

“I could take care of it…”

“My stepfather was a retired marine and and government agent… he never stood a chance,” Dana sighed, feeling all her energy vanish.

She just wanted a safe, normal life. She was so close to having it, she was even going to ask Tony to help her find a decent apartment, they were supposed to go to Disney soon… she wasn’t even going to be able to give him a proper goodbye…

They reached the Amtrak station, Wade kept a look out as he watched her approach the counter. He hated this, this feeling of being helpless, of being useless; he should have put a bullet in that asshole’s head back at the club, but fear held him back. He never understood until then what Dana meant about that bastard emitting fear wherever he went. It was like getting stabbed with a poisoned dagger.

The lady handed her the tickets and they quickly boarded, sparing one last look at Wade who gave them an encouraging smile and wave. This was probably the last time they would ever see each other.

The room was small with a bunk bed and a chair, with a tiny bathroom. Dana made sure to lock the door, before going into the bathroom. She needed to call Tony, needed to at least say goodbye and apologize for being a crappy partner. But the phone rang and rang, and after a third attempt, she just left him a voicemail, apologizing for everything and wishing him the best, before turning it off; she’ll probably have to get rid of it at some point – weren’t they traceable? – She joined her brother on the bottom bunk.

“Dana?”

“Yes?”

“I don’t think I like this game.”

“… Me neither Bud.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The movie Robbie is talking about is Night At The Musuem.


	6. Chapter Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dana and Robbie settle in New York under new names, Tony wakes up to find them gone and doesn't take it very well.

Thank god the train had WIFI, as soon as she got Robbie settled down she pulled out her old and battered laptop and immediately started erasing Dana and Robbie Freeborn from existence which wasn’t hard since she only ever paid in cash and the only places that would have their name on file were the schools but that was easy enough to fix. By next semester nobody would even remember them.

_Except Wade and Tony_ her brain stubbornly reminded her. Would either of them try to find her? Would they even care that they were gone? Why would they though? Yeah, Wade helped her out – a lot – but at the end of the day she was just his neighbor who could barely fend for herself; and Tony got what he wanted and now he didn’t have to share the profits, but Tony didn’t care about money – except to make sure she got her share – but she’d be putting them both in danger, she had to stick to doing everything by herself from now on.

Once she was sure every trace of her old life was gone, she started creating a new one, names were always hard for her, she got the last ones from a movie she remembered as a kid; Poltergeist scared the crap out of her but Luke and Lisa loved it, especially since Lisa looked a lot like Carol Anne. She opened up a random word generator and crossed her fingers.

**Meadow** , not bad she could work with that.

“Dana?” Robbie clearly wasn’t as asleep as she thought.

“Yes?” she glanced up to see him sitting with the blankets wrapped around him like a cocoon.

“Was that man after us?” she froze mid keystroke. Did he see him? Shit, this was so much easier when he couldn’t remember anything.

“… Yes, Robbie, that’s why we needed to leave, he’s a horrible man.”

“Is he going to come after us again?” he sniffled a little which broke her heart.

“Not if I can help it, Bud, but I need you to do something for me,” screw working in the chair, her laptop was fully charged anyway. She unplugged herself and nestled beside her brother who held onto her with all his might. “We’re going to have new names okay? Like spies, you love spy movies, don’t you?”

“Can I pick mine?”

“Of course.”

“Teddy.”

Dana felt her blood run cold. Why would he pick that one?

“Why Teddy?” and damn if her voice didn’t crack.

“He’s my favorite president,” he yawned, already falling back asleep now that he felt safe.

“Is that right?” _He was your Dad’s favorite too_.

Dana turned back to the birth certificate she was filling out, with some thought she finally decided on her own name. By sunup, Dana and Robbie Freeborn were no more, and Liberty and Theodore Meadows were fast asleep on their way to New York.

****

Eighty-five hours later and they arrived in Manhattan, and immediately found a cheap motel to settle in until Dana- Liberty could figure out something permanent. First order of business was finding a job; she really didn’t want to go back stripping but knew it might be her only option. Second, was finding a decent enough school for Teddy, and if she was lucky, herself.

Whatever god existed decided to smile down on her on the third day when they stopped by a little café near the school she was looking at for her brother. She truly wasn’t sure how it happened, the cashier stared at her strangely as she placed her order and took a seat in the corner, a few minutes later some kind of commotion was going on in the kitchen and said cashier stormed out but not before giving her a dirty look, less than a minute later a middle aged woman came rushing out with a tray holding her two chocolate chip muffins, Teddy’s milk, and her own tea.

“Terribly sorry about that,” she said, setting down the tray. “Consider this on the house. I’m truly sorry about my employee.”

“… What exactly happened?” was she rude to him? She didn’t think so but even if she was this was New York!

“I caught him bad mouthing you because you have a child, I don’t tolerate that kind of behavior Ma’am no siree! But his kind don’t like us older people telling them what they can and can’t do at work, honestly it was only a matter of time before I fired him anyway.”

“What a shame, especially since this is my little brother.”

“Hi!” Teddy piped in with a mouthful of muffin.

“Well, than I guess he walked out of a job for nothing. He better not try using me for references that’s for sure!” she nodded her head firmly.

“You know I’m actually looking for a job, and Teddy here is hopefully going to the preschool the next block over…”

“Do you happen to live close enough that there’s no excuse to being an hour late?”

“We actually just arrived in New York earlier this week, we’re currently living in a motel and I haven’t been able to find a decent apartment close to any schools.”

The lady clapped her hands excitedly. “Tell you what? The loft upstairs is mainly used for storage but if you want I can rent it to you for cheap, just enough to cover the utilities.”

Liberty thought about it. A cheap room right above work – a respectable place to work – right next to a decent school, and according to the map a community college was only four blocks away.

“When do I start?”

****

Tony woke up and upon being greeted with Pepper’s red eyes and Rhodey’s somber – more than usual – face he knew something was very, very wrong.

“You need to listen to this, Tony…” his best friend since MIT pulled out Tony’s phone which he left behind in his haste to confront Obadiah and played his voicemail.

**“Tony… this is… sigh this is Dana. I guess you’re pretty busy being a genius and all but listen… I’m going to have to… relinquish? Is that the word I’m looking for? My partnership with Liberty Cosmetics. Someone… someone is after me Tony, someone dangerous and I can’t drag you into it, so… me and Robbie are leaving. Don’t… don’t bother trying to find us, okay? It’s better if you just pretended we never existed… I’m sorry Tony… goodbye.”**

Tony froze, any pain forgotten as he forced himself up in his hospital bed. Who was after her? Was it that asshole Dom? Was it another client? Was it one of her soulmates who didn’t know what the word ‘no’ meant?

“When was this?” he demanded, voice drier than the desert and he gladly took the water Rhodey placed on his bedside table.

“It was left around ten o’clock that night you went after Stane, which was about two nights ago by the way.”

Two nights?!

“I need to get out of here…” Tony grimaced trying to push himself out of bed, only for Rhodey to push him back down. “I need to leave, I need to find Dana, she couldn’t have gotten far she has a kid with her for fuck’s sake, Rhodey let me go!”

“Tony I already tried,” he nearly cried. “JARVIS tried locating her from her phone but it’s off, I went to her old club; someone was looking for her… they fucking almost killed a guy and kidnapped another dancer, I have a buddy in the police say they still haven’t found the head.”

“Head?” Tony asked faintly.

“Whoever it was wasn’t too happy Dana’s apartment was empty… Tony, the place was torn to shreds and the poor woman was ripped apart, her head is still missing. All I can tell you Tony is that not a speck of Dana or Robbie’s blood was found in the apartment… I’m pretty sure they managed to get away.”

Pretty sure was not enough for Tony. He threw himself into searching everywhere for any sign of her or her brother, but there didn’t seem to be any trace of them. Neither of their school’s even had any record of them even attending even though the teachers remembered them fondly; there were no medical records, or criminal records.

It was like they never even existed.

“I’m sorry…” he sobbed in his lab, after yet another search turned up nothing. He swore he would protect them both and he failed. “I’m so sorry…”

****

It took several months to get settled down; the loft was in need of some serious cleaning but Kim – the owner of the café – was very helpful and even offered to watch Teddy when she was out. School went back in and Teddy handled his new identity better than she could ever hope for, it was like he was an actor which should scare her and it did a little bit but it made everything so much simpler. She also started up again at the college, after forging some transcripts.

Everything was fine… they weren’t going to starve – not that Kim would let them anyway – Liberty could shop in an actual department store every now and then, and Teddy had _toys_ ; like real toys not just coloring books and puzzles. It wasn’t what they could have had in Malibu, but it was better than when they first arrived.

She wanted to call Tony, to let him know she was alive and well but thought better of it. He had a business to run, charities to give to, a freaking robot suit to pilot.

She did however send an anonymous letter to Wade, wishing him the best.

Her days became a routine; breakfast then walk Teddy to school, walk in the opposite direction for her class, take a lunch break at the little deli across the street from her campus, pick Teddy up, and work for a few hours before dinner, cram homework before bed and repeat the next day. Weekends were filled with hours at the park and more homework.

“Excuse me?” Liberty looked up from her usual lunch to a meet a pair of dark brown eyes attached to a slightly ragged face. “Is this seat taken?”

“No, help yourself.”

The man sunk into the empty seat and glanced around anxiously. Liberty spent far too long on the run not to be able to recognize someone trying to hide in plain sight, she also noticed him repeatedly glancing down at his wrist and she got sight of what looked like a heart monitor, she also noticed that it was reading higher than normal.

“Water?” she offered, she always bought two bottles so she had something to drink on her walk back to class but she could stand to go without for a day.

“Thanks,” he eagerly took it and gulped it down, which allowed Liberty to study him without looking like a weirdo.

He didn’t look like a jogger – few ran in worn out jeans and heavy jackets – he looked like a professor down on his luck to be honest. Which begged the question why did he look so nervous and why was his heart rate was so high, was he on drugs? She seen her far share of users at the club back in Cali but he didn’t strike her as a druggie. Maybe he had too much caffeine?

Tony always acted erratic after too much coffee…

_Stop thinking about him!_ Liberty chided. _It’s over… you weren’t even his girlfriend you were just his partner._

“You should drink more water, works wonders for the heart and mind.”

“I’ll huh… keep that in mind,” he laughed nervously, not making eye contact. “Thanks again…”

“Liberty,” she told him standing up, class was in fifteen minutes. “Liberty Meadows.”

“Ah… Bruce, nice to meet you Liberty,” he offered his hand to shake which she accepted.

“Nice to meet you to, Bruce. Remember what I said; more water less coffee, your body will thank you later!”

Bruce waved her off and took a deep breath. Seeing Betty with someone else was both painful and relieving. He wanted her to be happy, and deep down he always knew she wouldn’t be with him. Even if he managed to get rid of the monster inside him.

It was a few days later she had a terrified Teddy buried in her arms as a news report showed two giant monsters destroy Harlem. Neither she nor Kim slept a wink that night, and if her boss started looking up panic room designs; well, that was none of her business.


	7. Chapter Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Liberty makes some friends and sexy time is attempted and failed.

If someone told Liberty this was going to be her life she would have laughed and maybe slapped them across the face for taunting her. A year after she arrived in New York it was time to transfer to a four-year university – she was able to forge the year of community college from California into her new identity so at least she didn’t have to do it all over again – and she applied to all the universities in the area and got accepted… to Columbia. Like, _the_ Columbia, where her mother studied and her grandmother taught for many years before retiring.

And that was where she met Foggy and Matt.

_FLASHBACK – 2010_

It was the first day of classes; Liberty had decided to major in Law instead of continuing Computer Science, she even bought a brand new bag to replace the ratty old one she had since she was fourteen. Her day was going good, all of her teachers were nice, her second class seemed to think they were still in kindergarten and wanted to play a break the ice game.

“My name is Liberty Meadows and I play the ocarina,” at least it was true, she had begged her parents for it ever since she played the game and had finally got it for her tenth birthday, but unfortunately it was just another thing she had to leave behind.

It was in her final class, Spanish – because it was stupid not to know the second most spoken language in the United States – that she felt a cane brush against her foot and realized one of her classmates was here as well… what was his name? She also quickly realized that all the other outside seats were taken.

“Um… excuse me, Matt?” he stopped to glance towards where he heard her name. “Would you prefer the outside seat? I can move over, it’s no trouble.”

“… If that’s alright, it would be easier.” In truth it didn’t matter much to him but he couldn’t tell her that.

Somehow that turned into them talking about their other shared classes, which turned into Liberty becoming outraged to learn that some of them don’t offer a Braille version of their textbooks yet and offering to help Matt study while lighting a match under someone’s ass. Matt seemed genuinely amused and remarked that she reminded him of his roommate.

Which in turn was how she officially met Franklin ‘call me Foggy’ Nelson, who in her humble opinion looked more like a rock star than a future attorney, but then again she probably didn’t look like lawyer material herself.

The three of them quickly became somewhat like friends, of course they only talked between classes and during their study periods, they – mostly Foggy – kept inviting her to the movies or to do this or that but she always declined citing work or her little brother. Truth be told she was surprised it took until almost Christmas break for them to have a big fight over it. Or for Foggy to fight about it and for Matt to just stand their uncomfortably.

“Come on, Liberty, its Christmas time!” Foggy exclaimed as if that changed everything. “Time to go out; live a little… do stuff.”

“I do stuff every day,” she told him.

“ _Fun_ stuff, like go ice-skating, or make a snowman.”

“I don’t have time for that, I have a job-”

“Which will be closed for a week,” he interrupted. Liberty did not even want to know how he knew her boss was heading out of state to visit her family and had given her paid time off which she was going to use to sleep in.

“I have a little brother-”

“You always have your little brother,” Foggy said irritated. “Why don’t his parents take care of him for a change?”

“Foggy!” Matt snapped because of course he would know or at least suspect it.

“Gee Foggy,” Liberty snarled. “That’s a great idea, let me just go dig up their graves real quick.”

He at least had the decency to shrink into himself, his long hair shielding his face. But Liberty was angry, and she had a headache all morning.

“I’m basically a single mother… hell, I’ve had people call me a whore and even had a packet of condoms thrown at me once because they assume Teddy is mine, but that’s okay because I don’t have time to be anything else right now,” she grabbed her bag and stormed out of their dorm which had become their study area when the library was too packed.

Her head hurt, she felt warm but also cold, and she wanted to cry. She knew Foggy just wanted her to let loose, she knew he was trying to get Matt to ease up on his Catholic sensibilities, but it still hurt to be reminded that she was only pretending to be normal.

By the time she made it home, her head was throbbing and she felt like she was back in Arizona in the middle of summer. She fell onto her bed and wished she thought to grab a frozen water bottle for her head.

“Libby?” she forced her eyes open and glanced at her brother. “Can we go see the Christmas lights at the park now?”

Liberty nearly groaned, that’s right she did promise Teddy they’d go when she was done at school, it sounded so much more fun when her head wasn’t killing her.

“Yeah Bud, just… give me a minute. Why don’t you go get your jacket and gloves?”

Teddy sprinted for the closet; Liberty pushed herself up and nearly fell back down when the world went black. Was she sick? She couldn’t afford to be sick! She slowly put her jacket and boots back on, they would go to the park for a few minutes and then she could relax for a bit.

Somehow a few minutes felt like a whole day, she and Teddy walked around the park and ogled the bright lights that were strung up in the trees. She somehow felt warmer, and even grabbed a small handful of snow to rub over her forehead, it didn’t help much. Perhaps she should pick up some medicine in the morning?

“Can we have hot chocolate?” Teddy asked on the way back home.

“Sure…” Liberty stumbled and just barely caught herself. _Just a little further…_

Unfortunately, just as they approached the café the world began to spin and Liberty fell, the icy cold ground and her little brother’s shouts the last thing she remembered.

****

_“How long are you planning on babying her?!” Daddy demanded. “I know I cut the fucking cord at the hospital!”_

_“She’s two years old, and she’s sick!” Mommy cried out._

_“Maybe if you’d stop shielding her from every little fucking thing her immune system wouldn’t be shit and she wouldn’t get sick!”_

_I whimpered behind my door, it was all my fault. I felt so warm and my throat hurt so much and I loved it when Mommy wrapped me in a blanket and cuddled me but then Daddy came home and got upset that I was still acting like a baby._

_“I-I’m okay…” I said, walking out of my room. I didn’t look up at Daddy because his face is scary when he’s mad. “I’m s-sorry; I’m not a baby anymore.”_

_“No, you’re not,” Daddy said sternly, fingers digging painfully into my hair. “You’re a big girl now aren’t you?”_

_“Yes, Daddy…”_

_“That’s a good girl,” suddenly he was petting me like a cat. I braved looking up at him and he was smiling! Daddy only smiled if he was really happy about something! “You’re my good girl, aren’t you?”_

****

Liberty groaned, blinking her eyes she saw nothing but darkness. After a brief panic, she realized she had a wet cloth over her eyes. She reached out to take it off and hissed when she brushed against a scrap on her cheek. Glancing around she was relieved to see she was back in bed.

“Hey,” she quickly turned around and saw none other than Matt sitting in the old recliner that was moved closer to the bed. He looked more ruffled than the last time she saw him.

“Hi,” she croaked, throat dry. She accepted the glass of water he handed her graciously.

“How are you feeling?”

“Sore, now my whole face hurts,” Liberty sighed, gently touching her scrap and prayed it wouldn’t scar. “What happened?”

“Well… Foggy felt terrible after you left and decided to apologize, we were on our way to your apartment when we heard someone scream,” he explained. “We ran and came across you unconscious on the sidewalk.”

“Scared the cr- daylights out of us!” Foggy loudly added as he came over with a bowl of hot soup. Teddy was right behind him before he jumped into the bed and carefully examined his sister before gently hugging her.

“You should’ve stayed in bed, Libby…” he grumbled.

“I promised you lights, didn’t I?” she asked.

“Could have waited…”

“Well, now you get to sleep all you want!” Foggy said with a hint mischief in his voice. “Because you’re not allowed to do anything until your fevers gone and we’re going to stay to make sure of it!”

“Like a sleepover?!” Teddy suddenly perked up with excitement.

“No offense, Foggy but I don’t have any room for guests,” she protested but her friend wasn’t having it.

“I’m like a cat I can sleep anywhere,”

“I grew up in an orphanage, so long as I have a blanket I’m fine,” Matt added.

“Ugh, fine,” she took a spoonful of soup before going into planning mode. “Teddy has his own bed, my bed is big enough for two people; I can sleep in the recliner and you two take my bed.”

“We’re not taking your bed away from you,” Foggy argued.

“I’m the host.”

“You’re an ill host, you take the bed; me and Matty will rock, paper, scissors to see who gets to share with you.”

Of course, Foggy may have changed his move so Matt would have the bed. But Matt did not mention it nor did Liberty so the night went on. Liberty finished her soup and Teddy asked if they could watch a movie before bed. They settled on A Nightmare Before Christmas and Foggy and Liberty took turns describing things to Matt. Teddy was fast asleep by the time it snowed in Halloween Town.

“We should go see the big tree at Rockefeller Center,” Liberty whispered.

“Hell yes,” Foggy whispered back. “All of us, we can check out some of the bands, try ice skating, drink hot chocolate; make a day out of it.”

After that, Foggy and Matt started hanging around the café more and started watching Teddy while she worked and Liberty started doing more than surviving.

She went on a date with Foggy during spring break, which ended in a semi-drunken confession where Foggy admitted to being scared of finding his soulmate.

“It looks like devil horns Libby, devil horns like… what if they’re a Satanist?”

“I mean…” she swayed a little in her seat trying to focus on her words. “Have you… read into Satanism? They got a rule about not making sexual advances unless given consent, they can’t all be horrible.”

“Really?” he stumbled slightly and almost fell. “Who… who is sacrificing poor animals then?”

“I think… that’s just some kind of fucked up witchcraft.”

Foggy walked – and tripped many times – her to her apartment, and gave her a hug goodnight and he walked back to his dorm with Matt – who had been watching Teddy for Liberty – trying to keep him upright and being only marginally worried about him asking if he’d forgive him if he married a Satanist.

She also went out with Matt and while they remained sober – so no drunk confessions – they somehow ended up in Matt’s bed with half their clothes gone.

“How did we end up here again?” he asked breathless, caressing her soft skin.

“I have no idea,” Liberty admitted slightly embarrassed. Yeah, she danced around in her underwear and gave private dances with even less but this was so… different.

“You okay?”

“Y-yeah… just… not used to gentle hands.”

“What?” Matt asked in shock. “What kind of assholes have you been with?”

“None actually, can... if I tell you something do you swear not to tell anyone else, not even Foggy?” Matt nodded and even crossed his heart which earned him a chuckle. “I… used to be a dancer at a club.”

“Okay… I mean you had to do whatever was necessary, you have Teddy to look after.”

“Exactly, and well… men at those kinds of places can get pretty rough, especially when they realize they aren’t getting past second base.”

“So you’re a virgin?” Matt asked, suddenly unsure. “Were you waiting for your soulmate?”

“I doubt they’ll want anything to do with me, to be honest,” Liberty told him, he could _feel_ the sadness in her voice. “And I’ve made peace with that, it just always felt wrong before…”

“And now?”

“… Not wrong but… not right?”

“Alright, pants stay on,” Matt sat up and motioned for her to turn around so her back was against his chest.

“What are you doing?” she gasped feeling his fingers press into her shoulders.

“I want to show you what a gentleman’s hands feel like.”

“You’re such a dork! You just want to touch my nice, smooth skin!”

“Maybe… I think I should thank Foggy for the coconut butter scrub he got you for Christmas,” Matt smirked. Enjoying her gasps when he gently palmed her breasts.

_END FLASHBACK_

Matt and Liberty never said a word about that night. And now, they were so close to graduating. Foggy had already come up with the idea of starting their own firm after their internships, though Liberty wasn’t sure. Was it too much to hope for that she wouldn’t need to run anymore?

Of course, that idea got roundhouse kicked out of her head when a big ass hole opened in the sky…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Liberty would be around 18/19 when the scene with Matt happens.


	8. Chapter Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Matt and Foggy learn something, and aliens invade.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning for anti-vaxxers and global warming deniers.

It was a peaceful Thursday night; Liberty had just finished cleaning up dinner while Teddy snoozed and was relaxing in her own bed with a book when her phone started to vibrate. She glanced at the caller ID and frowned.

**Foggy**

“Hello?” she greeted softly, going into the bathroom to hopefully not wake up her brother.

**“Do you know first aid?”** Foggy asked, panic in his voice.

“I know the basics, why?”

**“Matt… Matt got into a fight… I can’t take him to the hospital without insurance.”**

“Try to slow any bleeding and don’t let him fall asleep! I’ll be there as fast as I can!”

She threw on her shoes and left a quick note for Teddy letting him know where she went and to stay until she came back. She made sure to grab the first aid kit from the bathroom and triple checked to make sure the door was locked before dashing out. _How the hell did Matt get into a fight?_

She couldn’t remember it taking so long to reach Columbia, and she was sprinting the entire time! Thankfully the halls were mostly empty because she probably looked like a lunatic. She reached Foggy and Matt’s dorm, the former of whom was anxiously waiting for her and ushered her in. Matt was laying on his bed, she could make out several small cuts and bruises on his face.

“Jesus Christ, Matt what the hell happened?” she asked as she looked over the damage and dug through her kit.

“Got hit in the head…” he groaned.

“Several times,” Foggy added. Liberty could tell there was something else going on but decided not to dwell on it for now.

“Okay, I don’t know if you have a concussion or not so I can’t give you Aspirin, do you guys have any Tylenol?”

“No, but Marci might,” and suddenly she was alone with an injured Matt.

In silence, she carefully dabbed antiseptic on the various cuts on his face. Matt flinched at every touch, and wrinkled his nose at the smell; god, his head hurt so much.

“Aren’t you going to ask me how this happened?” he muttered.

“Do you feel up to talking about it?” she asked instead, placing a butterfly bandage over a particularly large cut over his eyebrow.

“I beat up a rapist. He got in a few lucky shots, I’m way out of practice,” he gave her a pleased smile. “But he’s way worse off than me.”

Liberty froze. “And what kind of ‘practice’ helps you pick fights with rapists?”

“You wouldn’t believe me.”

“Try me.”

What unfolds then is a tale that beggars belief. And yet, Matt tells it so quietly and solemnly that she has no choice but to believe it anyway. The more Matt tells, the more he rushes to get it out, a secret he’s never told anyone that’s been desperate to see the light of day. A story about an old man named Stick who was sharp and without pity but who knew what Matt was going through and helped actually helped in the ways no one else had been able to. Who taught Matt to work past his limitations, taught him how to utilize them, taught him how to fight. Gave him a purpose and a way to move forward.

“But he left. I wanted a father, he wanted a soldier so he left and I never heard from him again,” Matt said wistfully.

Liberty tried not to imagine a young Matty being berated and beaten in the name of learning how to use his gifts, and then abandoned by the very man who promised to help him.

“Guy was an asshole, Matt,” she told him. “No self-respecting teacher of any kind abandons their charge just because something unexpected happens.”

“You’re scared,” he says, hazel eyes brimming with tears. “Your heartbeat’s so fast, Foggy was scared too when I told him and now I said too much and you both are going to leave-”

“No,” she Liberty said firmly, taking his face in her hands. “I’m not going anywhere, okay? Yes, I’m scared because I just realized that this is probably not the first time you have gone out looking for trouble and even if you were trained by some weird blind ninja the idea of you dying out there all alone scares me. Now you have a tear in your shirt, can I take it off so I can look you over some more?”

Matt nods and helps lift up his shirt, whimpering when the fabric brushes against his face. Everything felt so rough and hard. As he felt Liberty dab more antiseptic on a cut on his chest, his hands played with the hem of her sweater.

“Are you seriously thinking about getting me out of my clothes?”

“My head hurts… and your skin is soft, everything else feels like sandpaper,” he whined, brushing his fingers against her sides. “Please, Liberty? Just for a little bit?”

“Okay, fine,” she pulled her sweater off and pulled Matt’s head against her chest. “You are so lucky we’re friends, Murdock.”

“The luckiest.”

“… How did you know my heart was beating fast?”

“I can hear it,” he admitted. “I can hear pretty much everything; all my other senses became so sensitive after I lost my sight, especially sound, smell, and touch… I can tell you’re not covering your marks.”

“The perks of sweaters,” she joked petting his hair, relieved that he chose not to comment on how many he could feel. “What’s my heart telling you now?”

“You’re nervous… you’re always so nervous.”

_Fair enough._

“Guys, I finally found some Tylenol- WHAT THE FUCK!”

Foggy did not just walk in on his shirtless best friend burying his face in their – also – shirtless friend’s chest, said friend did not fall off the bed in her attempt of putting her shirt back on. Foggy also get not feel a surge of jealousy upon seeing Matt’s mark on his lower back.

“Okay; first, no playing doctor when actual medical attention is needed. Secondly, are you aware you have my mark on your back, Matt?!”

“I… do?” Matt asked bewildered. He lost his sight before he received his mark, and he never bothered asking someone what it was.

“It’s… a foghorn?” Liberty told him glancing at it.

“Matt calls me Foggy because I sound like a foghorn when I snore,” Foggy told her. “But this doesn’t even make sense; my mark is devil horns and your catholic!”

“Watch out for the Murdock boys. They got the devil in them,” Matt laughed despite the pain in his head. “That’s what my grandmother used to say.”

“… Oh…”

“So I’m just going to leave now,” Liberty awkwardly walked towards the door. “I’m sure you guys have a lot to talk about, just make sure to set an alarm for every two hours when you go to sleep. I’ll see you later!”

****

Later, turned out to be the very next morning at their Friday lunch – neither of them had classes on Friday this term – and it was just as awkward as Liberty expected, maybe even more so. Foggy and Matt sat together which was a good sign, but the usual banter was replaced with silence.

“Anyone want a muffin?” Liberty asked in a desperate attempt to break the tension. “Café’s very last batch,”

“I didn’t know the café was closing,” Foggy frowned, accepting a chocolate chip muffin.

“Some wad of new money has been trying to buy it from Kim for a while, she turned him down every single time but lately business hasn’t been so good so she had no choice but to sell.”

“So where are you going to work?” Matt asked and then jolted. “Where are you and Teddy going to _live_?” because it was unlikely the new owner would let her stay.

“Don’t know yet, I just spent a whole morning packing everything for storage except for the necessities,” at least her former boss was nice enough to pay a full month for a storage unit. “We’ll probably crash a motel for a few nights until I find a cheap apartment.”

Suddenly everyone outside started screaming.

“What’s going on?” Matt asked he could hear _something_ … but had no idea what it was. He could tell Foggy and Liberty moved to look outside, their heart rates skyrocketed at whatever they saw.

“Oh my god…” Liberty whispered. “There’s a hole in the sky…”

“Holy shit there’s… things coming out of it!” Foggy added.

They gathered up their things and ran for the backdoor, unfortunately, several other patrons had the same idea and they got separated.

“MATT!” Foggy called out in a panic, he should’ve held on to his arm! “LIBERTY!”

“FOGGY!” Matt fought through the wave of people to his best friend and soulmate.

“Where’s Liberty?!”

“I heard her heart run ahead! She must be heading towards Teddy’s school!”

****

Liberty ran through the chaos and nearly got shot by lasers a few times, but she kept on running. It was the end of the world! She always thought it would end in zombies thanks to the fucking anti-vaxxers or a great big ball of fire thanks to global warming, she never thought it would end by _aliens_!

The school was in a panic; teachers, parents, students all running trying to find shelter.

“Liberty!” Teddy ran into her arms and screamed when an alien dropped down.

On reflex, she forced its limbs to remain still long enough for her to whack it with a broken piece of fence.

“Everyone to the subway!” she shouted, it was the only place safe from air attacks.

She ran as fast as she could with Teddy holding on, which unfortunately wasn’t very fast. Several more aliens dropped down and fired; she didn’t have time to do anything but shield her brother and pray she survived.

“I don’t think so!” someone shouted and the sound of laser hitting metal drew her to see… Captain America? Shielding them with his shield.

“Liberty! Teddy!” Foggy and Matt shouted up ahead.

“Go with your friends to safety, Ma’am!”

He didn’t need to tell her twice, she picked up Teddy in her arms – which was a feat in itself considering he was finally entering his growth spurt – and ran towards her friends. Together they entered the nearest subway station which was being used as a safe zone.

“Liberty?” Teddy whimpered, hugging her tightly as they sat on the dirty ground surrounded by other survivors. “Are we going to die?”

Liberty froze. Were they? She wasn’t an expert on the military but she was pretty sure they weren’t prepared or equipped to deal with an alien invasion. _But we survived so much…_

“No, Teddy,” she said with conviction. “We’re going to be just fine okay? But I need you do stay here for me, okay?”

“Where are you going?” Foggy asked grabbing her hand.

“I’m going to do something very stupid, but I need you to trust me and keep an eye on my brother for me.”

She made her way back up to street level, thankful that there weren’t any aliens nearby. Her plan was foolish but simple – in theory – there couldn’t be an infinite number of aliens, so all they had to do was kill off the invading army- _Was that Superman?!_ She starred in awe watching the Man of Steel fly through the air, she didn’t even think he was real and suddenly she felt much more confident they could survive.

She spotted a discarded gun that obviously wasn’t human-made, and any aliens she saw she froze in place so she could fire at them easily. It was almost _too_ easy if she allowed herself to think about it. She managed to get a few blocks away and just as she aimed for another set of aliens, they dropped dead on their own, the hole in the sky was closing and just as it vanished a lone figure fell through, she nearly didn’t recognize the red and gold suit.

“TONY!” without thinking she ran towards where he would land, watching as a familiar green giant snatched him out of the sky and brought him down to the ground. “No, no, no…”

Liberty ripped off his faceplate and realized he wasn’t breathing, placing her hand over his armor she forced his heart to start beating and blew air into his mouth, she did this three times; not noticing the group of heroes gathering, each hoping for their fallen comrade to pull through.

Tony Stark finally gasped awake. “Dana…?”

Liberty nearly swore and made room for another hero – wasn’t he the doctor she met before? The good Dr. Strange? – Who presided to fuss over the billionaire. She decided now was her chance to skedaddle before Tony came fully to his senses. A hand landed on her shoulder and she was engulfed in a hug by a very strangely dressed man with long blond hair.

“Thank you for saving the man of iron, milady,” he smiled gratefully at her.

“Uh... your welcome? Can you do me a favor though?” she pulled out a notepad from her jacket and quickly scribbled a message before folding it and handing it to the man. “Can you give this to him when he’s better? I’m an old friend but I can’t stick around, I have a little brother to go to.”

“Of course!”

****

Liberty was exhausted, the café and her loft had been destroyed – luckily Kim had managed to grab her bag of necessities before she evacuated – her old boss thought the whole thing was quite ironic, considering that she had just finalized the sale of her business when the invasion struck so the renovations were now the new owner’s responsibility. She offered her a room at her place which had been spared but she turned it down, her boss had down more for her than she could ever repay.

The dorms at Columbia were semi-intact but were closed off for repairs so Foggy and Matt had to grab some of their things and they all decided to grab a motel for a few nights while they considered their next move. An available motel was hard to find, because a lot of people had lost their homes, they nearly had to go to New Jersey but finally found a place with two rooms to spare. Teddy fell right asleep after their pizza dinner, and Liberty tucked him in before going into Matt and Foggy’s room.

“So, do either of you guys have an idea what the fuck we’re supposed to do now- oh, okay!” she quickly covered her eyes at the scene she walked in on. “I guess each other is your answer?”

“I guess this can be considered payback…” Foggy quipped awkwardly.

“Foggy!” Matt groaned in embarrassment, burying his face in the pillows.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm thinking of making a seperate story for Foggy and Matt because I know some people might not be interesting in that pairing when reading this.


	9. Chapter Eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Liberty and Tony are reunited!

After he came back to life – which sounded dramatic even for him but he guessed it was accurate considering his heart had stopped for who knows how long – and dealing with a certain wizard doctor who still haven’t accepted his role as awesome facial hair bro, Tony Stark’s first order of business as the leader of their barely functioning unless the end of the world is upon them team was taking them all out for shawarma.

“I mean, can we trust them?” Rogers asked as he fought to stay awake. It took Tony longer than it should to realize he was talking about the Justice League who had spotted the invasion on their return from some other planet.

“I’ve known Batman for a while,” Tony said after swallowing a mouthful of food and sweet fuck was it _good_. “And he can vouch for the others, the only reason SHIELD has an issue with them is because they don’t work with any government agency. They prefer to stay neutral on and off the planet.”

“I’m not sure about the green one, though…” Clint muttered eying the other group on the opposite side with suspicion. “He claims Loki wasn’t in full control of himself.”

“He’s a telepath, he would know. Besides didn’t you notice Rock of Ages eyes kept changing blue to green when we apprehended him?”

They glanced over at the god himself, who was situated between Thor and Strange. He was quietly eating the food Tony bought him because he wasn’t that much of an asshole, however, every so often his face would go blank prompting the Martian Manhunter to turn and presumably enter his mind, after the third time the Martian approached.

“Whoever was behind this invasion is attempting to regain control over Loki,” Thor tensed up, alternating between staring at his brother and the Martian Manhunter. “It is highly recommended he is returned to his homeworld as soon as possible.”

“Guy gives me the creeps…” Clint muttered as the green alien returned to his own group.

Tony just shrugged, he liked J’onn; he was considerate and direct and didn’t try to suck up or bullshit anyone.

“We,” he motioned towards himself, Strange, and Dr. Banner. “Are working out a way to send our resident gods and the Tesseract back to Asgard.”

In truth, it would be easy enough for Doctor Strange to send Loki and Thor through a portal, the Tesseract, however, didn’t seem to like his kind of magic and they rather not risk sending them to some unknown planet.

****

It was two days after the invasion that Thor realized he had been so busy fretting over his brother that he completely forgot to deliver Stark his rescuer’s message. He spared a sleeping Loki one last look – he had been assured by the Martian Manhunter that his mind would be safe at least until they returned home – before seeking out their host. He had not actually seen Stark since he showed them all their rooms, but he had overheard Dr. Banner voice his concern to a woman known as Pepper Potts how Stark had been refusing to leave his lab so that was where he went.

The lab was quite interesting to the Asgardian; the walls were lined with various gadgets including a new bow for Barton, special fabric for Dr. Banner – so he wouldn’t lose his pants when changing back and forth between himself and the Hulk – was rolled up neatly on a table, several Iron Man suits lined the far wall, and in the center of the room was Stark… who had just set his shirt on fire.

Before Thor had a chance to react, his teammate was covered in white foam. Stark froze for a moment before slowly turning to – presumably glare – at a robotic arm that was holding a fire extinguisher.

“You’re so lucky Daddy loves you…” he muttered forcing Thor to laugh. “Just you wait goldilocks, Dum-E already got Rogers once; it’s only a matter of time before he nails you too!”

“I look forward to that day, Anthony,” Thor chuckled as if there was no greater honor than being sprayed by one of Stark’s machines.

Tony just grumbled, pulling off his ruined shirt and using it to clean his face. Thor caught sight of a familiar mark on his waist and froze.

“Are you checking me out? Not that I mind, I just want to be clear.”

Rather than be insulted or ashamed, Thor broke out into a big grin and hugged him… Tony wasn’t sure if it was better or worse.

“We share a soulmate Anthony!” the God of Thunder boasted, lifting his own shirt up to reveal the same scale and roman numerals on his lift pectoral.

“... That’s great, buddy!” Tony said patting his shoulder because what the fuck else was he supposed to say?! Better to change the subject before he decides he wants a battle to the death… because that sounds like something Vikings would have done. “But is there something you needed?”

“Oh!” he nearly forgot again! He pulled the folded piece of paper out of his pocket and handed it to Tony. “The maiden who saved you wished for me to give this to you, she says she is an old friend of yours.”

“Thanks…” he awkwardly took it. “By the way, I’m almost done with the containment unit for the Tesseract, if my calculations are right – and they always are – we should be able to send you guys’ home within a week.”

Thor expressed his thanks – in the form of another hug – and left to spread the news to his brother when he wakes up, leaving Tony alone with his thoughts and a note… could it be? He swore he saw her when he first regained consciousness, but then again his brain had been without oxygen for a considerable amount of time and by the time his mind was clear she was nowhere to be seen. Carefully he unfolded the note.

**Dear Tony,**

**I could strangle you for scaring me like that. I know it’s been a while and you’ve probably forgotten all about me, but maybe we can grab a coffee sometime? Call me (xxx)xxx-xxxx. I miss you.**

**Liberty formerly known as Dana**

**P.S. Teddy (Robbie) misses you too.**

Tony could feel his heart rate increase to the point he should be worried about the shrapnel in his chest but he didn’t care. It was her… he did see Dana, Dana was alive! **I miss you.** _She missed me…_ Tony couldn’t help but feel delighted in knowing he meant something to her.

As soon as he was able to breathe properly, and actually form words, he dialed her number and waited… already feeling his heart rate accelerate in anticipation.

**“Hello?”** a woman answered sleepily and a quick glance told him it was ten at night, shit she was probably sleeping.

“Da- Liberty?” he needed to get used to her new name.

**“… Tony? How… how are you doing?”**

“I’ve been…” _Sleeping as little as I possibly can for the past several few years._ “Good, all things considered… are you free tomorrow?”

**“Y-yeah, all my classes are canceled for at least week, what do you have in mind?”**

“How about we grab lunch and catch up?”

****

Lunch with Tony sounded so good when she agreed to it last night… but now it was currently ten in the morning and Liberty was having a mini panic attack which had brought over Matt and Foggy, the former no doubt able to hear to dashing around her motel room that now had several outfits laid out.

“Going on a date?” Foggy asked. “It’s not that asshole Britton from the debate team is it? Because as a friend, I refuse to let your standards sink so low.”

“Hell no,” she said. “I’m meeting up with an old friend and it’s kind of a big deal and I’m trying to look nice but it’s… you know, lunch.”

“Say no more,”

Which was how Foggy became her personal fashion advisor, by the time twelve rolled around she was showered and dressed in black pants and shirt with a denim jacket, she wasn’t sure if she looked decent enough but Foggy assured her she looked ‘classy casual’ whatever that was. And Teddy said she looked cute so there was that.

Teddy had wanted to wait with her and she didn’t have the heart to tell him no. Her poor brother had been awfully clingy since the invasion, she wasn’t looking forward to when school opened back up. Finally a familiar Rolls Royce pulled up, and exiting the driver’s side was…

“Mr. Stark!” Teddy greeted ecstatically.

“Hey, Kiddo!” Tony ruffled his hair. “Oh my god, you got big!” how long had it been? Four years?

“Hi Tony,” Liberty greeted and without thinking pulled him into a hug. “It’s nice to see you when you’re not falling from the sky.”

“It’s nice to you see period,” he told her returning the hug. _This is nice…_ “So… lunch?”

****

He ended up taking them to the same shawarma place, because it was good and the owners didn’t care who he was so long as he paid. Liberty talked about Columbia and her friends, Tony talked about the incident with Whiplash and Justin Hammer – which she swore had to be an alias of some kind – and the Avengers, particularly Dr. Banner. Teddy asked if he could have his own suit, and Tony said he needed to learn how to drive first – though that was mostly to placate Liberty.

After lunch, Tony offered to take them to a movie, he liked to tell himself he just wanted to spend as much time with them as possible, in reality, he was stalling… stalling telling Liberty the truth.

_Just tell her_ argued a voice that sounded suspiciously like Rhodey.

He’ll tell her… today… at some point.

Finally by the time he dropped them off back at the motel it was nearly dark out and Teddy was exhausted. Maybe he should wait until tomorrow? _TELL HER!_

“Liberty,” he started grabbing her shoulder. “Can I talk to you in private?”

“Sure, let me just go make sure my friends are behaving themselves before I leave Teddy with them,” she was not ready to have that kind of talk with her brother, and so help her she will make Matt explain the birds and the bees to him if it comes down to it.

Fortunately, Foggy and Matt had their clothes on and were waiting for her, after explaining that she and her friend (“Not date Foggy,”) were going to have a talk she went back down to Tony’s car. Where said friend was waiting anxiously for her.

“What’s up?” she asked.

“Why exactly are you staying in a motel?” Tony asked stalling.

“My loft was destroyed-”

“You could move into the tower.”

“I could… but what’s in it for you?” she asked coyly.

“A date,” he said before he could stop himself. _Tell her…_

“I’ll say yes… if you tell me what’s really going on.” _Tell her…_

“I think… Liberty that…” _TELL HER!_ “You are my soulmate.”

Liberty froze. Did she hear that right? But that was impossible! Tony had never… oh god.

“The cog, right?” she whispered, tugging down the neck of her shirt to reveal said mark. “You never said anything…”

“The timing was pretty bad, and by the time I figured out how to tell you…”

“I left.”

“Yeah,” he breathed, waiting for the rejection. Instead he felt soft lips on his jaw. “What are you doing?”

“About that date…” she whispered in his ear. “How about tomorrow night?”

Tony.exe has stopped working. This was not what he had been spending last night and this morning preparing for. He was ready for “I’m sorry’s”, for her to just want to stay friends – which he was cool with but it would still hurt – he was not ready for this.

“Tony?”

“Tomorrow night it is,” he said before kissing her gently on the lips.

“Eww! They’re kissing!” they pulled away to glance up at Teddy who was watching them from the ledge, a flustered Foggy behind him.

“Just you wait a few years, Buster!” Liberty chided. “You’ll have all the girls wanting kisses then.”

“Gross!” he said before running back inside.

****

It wasn’t until later that Tony realized he should probably tell Thor that his- _their_ soulmate would be visiting the tower. And maybe he should give Liberty the heads up before picking her up.

“What if she chooses goldilocks over me?” he asked out loud. Thor was a fucking god who looked like royalty slept with some divine being.

“If I may Sir, it was not Mr. Odinson who pulled her away from her rather… dangerous lifestyle,” JARVIS responded.

“Yeah well, he’s also not the one who failed to protect her…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: next chapter will contain smut.


	10. Chapter Nine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony and Liberty have their first date and sexy times finally happen!

Steve was used to many of Tony’s antics by now, but walking in on him staring into a mirror chanting “Thou shall not get naked,” repeatedly was by far one of the stranger things he’d witnessed.

“Is this a bad time?” he asked. He just wanted to know if the library was still on 5th avenue, but he could just ask Dr. Banner, in fact, he wasn’t he why he didn’t do that in the first place.

“I have a date tonight, here, and I’m trying to psych myself into being a gentleman because it’s a very important date and I refuse to let myself ruin it!” Tony slapped himself for good measure. He had already locked up the lube, the condoms he had expired _years_ ago so they got tossed – how the fuck do condoms expire anyway? – And JARVIS was under strict orders to keep his alcohol intake within a reasonable amount for dinner.

“So… should we kind of… make ourselves scarce tonight?”

“What? No, no. this tower is too big, and even if it wasn’t the answer would still be no because kicking you guys out is a dick move, just… don’t be surprised if access to my floor is restricted outside of an emergency.”

“Anyone tries to disturb your night will have to get through me first,” Steve joked lightly, it was strange seeing the supposed playboy getting worked up over a date. “You might want to lock up the vents though; I know Barton and Romanoff can crawl through them... Thor was _not_ happy.”

That was an understatement, Thor had threatened to bring fire down on SHIELD and it took way too much effort on Steve’s part to assure him that they were simply making sure Loki was still in the tower, although he did make Fury and them deliver an apology and a promise to just call and ask next time.

“Already been working on it, trust me I have experience with Romanoff,” he assured. “But if you see Point Break, send him my way I need to talk to him about something.” _And hopefully he doesn’t kill me…_

****

“Can I ask why you even bothered putting away all those clothes if you were just going to throw them all out again?” Foggy asked in mild amusement, right after breakfast Liberty had been digging through every single piece of clothing she owned for something to wear on her date. Teddy had escaped to his and Matt’s room.

“Because I thought I knew what to wear but now I have no idea!” she said panicking. Tony called her after he got home last night to tell her they would have dinner at the tower, because he was dead serious about her moving in and wanted to show her around. “What the hell do you even wear to a guy’s house?!”

“It’s a very tricky balance of class and comfort,” Foggy told her, “What about that purple dress you bought a while back?”

“I bought that for my date with Cameron that never happened because he turned out to be an asshole,” she frowned. _Jerk just wanted to make his on and off again girlfriend jealous…_

“So? It’s a gorgeous dress and deserves a second chance.”

“Maybe…” she found said dress and toyed with its lacy sleeve.

“I’m pretty sure Matt can hear you thoughts.”

“… Is it trampy if we have sex on a first date?”

“Matty and I haven’t even had an official date yet so I can’t say anything,” he took a sip of coffee before continuing. “Do you want to have sex?”

“Yes and no?” she scratched her head and carefully placed her dress on her bed. “I mean, Tony was really the first and only man I’ve known where I’ve actually thought about it… but I don’t want to be the one to start it and seem desperate, you know?”

“Honestly, unless you start taking your clothes off before the appetizer you’re not going to seem desperate.”

****

“Anthony!” Thor boomed as he exited the elevator onto Tony’s floor.

“Kitchen!” Tony called out, placing dinner in the oven to stay warm. He’d traveled all the way to Gotham to beg Alfred for a good recipe that even Bruce Wayne could make no problem.

“Steven tells me you wished to speak to me? He also tells me you are courting someone tonight.”

“Yeah… and that’s kind of what I needed to talk to you about, but first; how do Asgardians feel about someone with multiple soulmates?”

“They are held in high regard and often hold positions in government for it is believed if they can keep peace between their mates than they can maintain peace in their community, it is considered an honor to be bonded to such a person,” Thor explained. “Is it so different here?”

“Unfortunately yes, most people are greedy and don’t like to share and the idea of someone loving multiple people is considered… wrong. I myself don’t mind the idea so long as everyone is treated fairly and respected.”

“Then you seem to be above your kind Anthony,” he frowned in confusion. “I do not understand why Midgardians make things so difficult, but I digress; was there a reason you asked?”

“My old friend, the woman who saved me?” not that he had many friends new or old. “She’s coming here tonight… she’s our soulmate.”

“That’s… that’s fantastic!” Thor could barely contain his excitement. How long had he waited to find her? And to think he had met her… held her in his arms… but Stark’s earlier words came to his mind. “Would she be ashamed to have more than one soulmate, Anthony?”

“Honestly, Thor… I’m not sure, I do know she’s a very kind and caring woman who hasn’t been treated as she should have been.”

****

Liberty had spent an agonizing amount of time scrutinizing herself in the bathroom mirror, she decided against covering her marks because she was just going to Tony’s tower, so the top of his mark – and that still made her heart race – part of the DNA strand, and the snake were visible. The dress covered the rest on her body and her hair like always covered the one on the back of her neck. She still had no idea how he felt about her having multiple soulmates but had no idea how to bring it up.

Teddy was sad he couldn’t come to see the tower but was excited to hear he might be living in it soon. So when she got the text from Tony that he had arrived she grabbed a purse that was actually serving as her overnight bag that Foggy insisted she take – “Because what if sexy times happen and you sleep over?” – And went down to his car.

Despite the easygoing conversation, there was no denying the tension, they’d spent hours alone together before, but this was different. This was… real. No Teddy, no work, nothing but Liberty and Tony.

By the time they arrived at the tower and parked in Tony’s – and eventually the Avengers- private parking lot, Tony’s knuckles were white from gripping the steering wheel; while Liberty’s leg ached from straining against tapping it throughout the ride. On the way up to Stark’s private floor, they stopped in the common areas so he could show her around before dinner.

“And this is my new partner in science, Dr. Banner,” he introduced as they passed him by in the kitchen. “Bruce, this is Liberty Meadows.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Doctor,” she extended her hand to shake. _Haven’t I seen you before?_

“Pleasure is…” Liberty swore he glanced down at her chest before freezing and correcting himself. “All mine, ah… I’ll see you around?”

“If Tony has his way, absolutely,” and they left him to his own devices.

As they approached the elevators a familiar blond exited onto the floor. Instead of his armor however he was wearing more subtle clothes.

“Anthony!” he froze seeing her. “… Milady it’s a pleasure to see you again.”

“Hi there again,” she smiled easily, “You must be Thor, it’s wonderful to officially meet you… off the battlefield that is!”

“Thank you fair lady,” he looked rather uncomfortable. “I do not wish to keep you from your evening with Anthony… I was simply seeking out Captain Rogers.”

“I think he’s down in the gym again, buddy,” Tony told him, suspicious. They had agreed that it would be best not to dump them both being her soulmates on her at once, but he couldn’t fault the man- god? For wanting to see her.

Thor gave his thanks… and continued his way further into the common room, away from the gym. Letting it go, Tony ushered her into the elevator heading for his floor.

“How many of the team lives here?” she asked. Teddy would never want to leave living with so many heroes.

“Right now me, Bruce, and Steve, Thor and his brother are staying but will be heading home hopefully soon. Strange – did you know he got accepted at Hogwarts? – might stop by occasionally, SHIELD’s spies have their own thing going on, and you probably won’t see any of the Justice League around here either.”

The elevator stopped and let them off; Tony’s floor was very… impersonal, she recognized some of the paintings from his house in Malibu but there were no actual photographs, nothing to suggest it wasn’t something straight out of a magazine. Of course, Tony never had any reason to decorate beyond fancy furniture and art, but he hoped having her would change that.

Dinner was a pasta he made accompanied by red wine that he knew from experience would take several bottles to get him drunk.

Of course… he totally forgot about his date’s alcohol tolerance, and after only two glasses he made the responsible call to cut her off before she hurt herself, she wasn’t drunk but obviously wasn’t used to drinking, and after clearing away the plates they sat on the couch debating on what to watch, which should have been easy except Liberty was feeling playful with the wine in her system and refused to give him the remote.

“Stealing is a felony, don’t make me call up Captain America to give you a stern talking to,” he threatened.

“I’ll give it up for a kiss,” she giggled, eying sparkling and lips pouty and honestly? Could he be faulted for agreeing to her terms? One kiss, just one kiss shouldn’t hurt anything.

Of course he didn’t consider the spark that ignited as soon as their lips touched, or her running her fingers through his hair _just_ right driving him desperate for more. The TV remained off as she sat in his lap, one hand tangled in her hair while the other slowly traveled down… down until she let out a gasp and buried her red face in his neck.

“Is this okay?” he asked as he continued to massage her ass through the fabric of her dress, his other hand joining in.

“Y-yes keep… keep going, please,” she had felt so many hands on her in her time at the club, but this… this was a new feeling she couldn’t describe. Tony’s hands were… rough and calloused from years of working with his hands; but they were gentle too, not holding on with a bruising force like she was used to.

Tony decided he liked her ass, well he decided that a long time ago just seeing her in those form fitting pants she used to wear while visiting him, but actually feeling it just reinforced that. It was so plump and round and she made the most amazingly sexy sounds when he squeezed just a little bit. Taking a chance, he moved his hands underneath her dress and was rewarded with another whimper as she pushed herself into his hands.

“Shit, you're wet…” her panties were soaked and no doubt ruined at this point, he wondered if taking them off would be too far.

“S-sorry… never gone this far before…”

Oh. _Oh shit, fuck no, abort!_

“So… huh… you’re a virgin?” Tactful, Tony.

“Is… that a problem?”

“No! no, just huh… I spent this whole morning telling myself to be a gentleman and all it took was a kiss to throw that into the compactor and now I’m wondering if we should wait until we’re sober.”

“I’m sober!” he gave her a look. “Okay, sober enough to know what I want. And to know that I’ve been fantasying about you naked for an embarrassingly long time, and just because I’m a virgin doesn’t mean I don’t know how sex works, and how to do something I’ve been thinking about all morning.” she slowly slid down in between his legs.

“What are you doing?” Tony asked startled, gasping when she undid his belt and released his _very_ hard cock. “Y-you are the sluttiest virgin I’ve ever met!”

“Thank you, it was an honor just to be nominated,” she gave his cock an experimental pump, he was average in length but above in girth; she wondered how he managed to keep it hidden in any of his suits. “Why don’t you just relax and tell me when I do something you like?”

Relax? How was he supposed to relax when he was fighting coming immediately into that hot, wet mouth? Fuck she obviously was new at this but fast to pick up what made him tremble and gasp.

“D-don’t worry if you can’t take it all in, you can use your hands as – ah! – as well,” he struggled to focus on something other than his soulmate fondling his balls while sucking his cock, otherwise, he would be finished sooner than a fourteen-year-old discovering porn for the first time! “N-now don’t be afraid to use your tongue – oh yes! Just like that! S-shit you’re a natural!”

Liberty hummed appreciatively at the praise and enjoyed the string of obscenities that followed, and here she had been worried she’d be a disappointment compared to however many girls Tony had been with.

“T-that’s enough Sweetheart,” he gently tugged on her head signaling for her to release him, which she did with a confused pop. “I never come first, darling… follow me to the bedroom, I’m going to make sure you remember this night forever.”

They practically ran to the bedroom, leaving behind a trail of discarded shoes and clothing until Tony was left in only his undershirt – which he refused to take off, not wanting to ruin the moment with the mess of scars on his chest – instead he helped Liberty out of her dress.

“Naughty girl, not wearing a bra this whole time…” he groaned, taking her heavy breasts in his hands and kissing her neck.

“I honestly hate wearing them,” she admitted, face red with embarrassment. She let out a startled yelp when he pinched her nipples.

“As far as I’m concerned you’ll never need to worry about that,” he spun her around and laid her on his bed. “In fact, if I had my way you would never need to wear clothes; it should be a crime covering up such a perfect body.”

“Flatterer,” she laughed but gulped when she felt her panties being removed and legs spread apart. She was totally exposed to Tony’s wandering eyes.

“Oh Liberty, if only you could see through my eyes right now, you’d know that everything I say is true,” he bent down and gave her a chaste kiss before taking a nipple into his mouth, making sure to pinch and tease the other as well, his free hand sliding down in-between their bodies.

Liberty grasped his shoulder and let out an embarrassing moan as she felt his finger enter her with ease, she quickly covered her mouth and turned her reddened face away.

“Don’t try to hide all those beautiful sounds, darling,” Tony told her, as he moved further down her body.

Liberty honestly did not notice him missing from her chest until she felt what could only be his tongue pushing against her folds alongside his finger. It was too much and not enough at the same time, and then he brushed against something inside her and she couldn’t hold back her cries as she arched her back as a wave of pleasure shot through her body.

“Gorgeous…” That word didn’t do her any justice with her face so red, chest heaving, arms and legs spread open so invitingly… _Fuck I don’t have a condom_. He should have known his crap resolve would break and had some on hand! “Liberty… not trying to ruin the moment, but are you on birth control?”

“N-no but please Tony…” never had she wanted it like this… never had she really wanted it _at all_. Not with Wade, not with any of the men at the club, not with Matt or Foggy. “We’ll figure it out in the morning… please?”

How could he ever say no? Gently he teased her opening with the tip of his cock, even with his preparation he knew he had to take it slow, if he hurt her he would never forgive himself, and Thor would probably smite his ass. He slowly pushed in, and hated the wince that flashed across her face, circling her clit with his thumb he hoped to ease and distract her away from the discomfort. When he was finally all the way in, he halted and waited for her to adjust, kissing her neck and everywhere else he could reach.

_Fuck, so warm, s-so tight…_

Liberty wasn’t sure what to focus on, yes it hurt a little – she knew it would but it was far from the terrible pain she had been warned about – but it felt… _good_ , having Tony so close, having him actually _inside_ her… it was like nothing she ever experienced before. Gently running her fingers through his hair, she wasn’t sure if she’d ever want to stop this feeling.

“Alright Sweetheart?” he asked.

“Very,” she sighed, giving him another kiss. “So very alright.”

“Good,” he started a slow pace, hands reaching out to caress her breasts. He needed more hands; there were too many places he wanted to touch and not enough of him. “You feel so good around me Liberty.”

“Again with the flattery…” she giggled, letting out a sudden loud moan when he managed to find that sweet spot inside her. He smiled deviously, and sped up his thrusts, aiming for that spot as he teased her clit. “Oh, nonononono Tony, t-that’s- oh god I-I can’t!”

She trembled as another ripple of pleasure suddenly hit; wrapping her arms around Tony she faintly heard his shout as something hot released inside her. For several minutes they said nothing as they recovered in each other’s arms.

“That was…” Tony breathed. “Amazing… I’m sorry for not giving you any warning before coming inside you… it’s been a while for me.”

“It’s okay… wait how long is a while?”

“Shortly before Afghanistan. Had too many things on my mind, plus couldn’t trust anyone with the arc reactor… how… how was it?”

“Wonderful Tony,” Liberty smiled, stroking his face. “Couldn’t have asked for a better first time.”

“We should probably clean up,” Tony muttered, only rolling on to his side and holding her close.

“Yep…”

“Wouldn’t want to risk any – yawn – consequences… in the morning…”

“… Absolutely.”

In the end, they remained in bed, sound asleep. And JARVIS had not the heart to wake his Sir especially since this is the deepest he’s fallen asleep in a long time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1) Consent is sexy as fuck.  
> 2) Always have condoms even if you think sexy times won't happen.
> 
> I will be addressing Tony's insecurity over his chest in a future chapter. Who confesses next? Bruce or Thor?


	11. Chapter Ten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The morning after. SHIELD thinks they can control Stark, they are in for a rude awakening.

Liberty awoke in a still sleeping Tony’s arms, feeling more rested than she had in a while. Carefully she untangled herself and winced when his flaccid cock slipped out of her. _Not one of my brightest ideas…_ she thought. She needed a shower and probably a trip to the pharmacy, hell she probably needed to see a doctor soon if they were planning on continuing their… relationship? Were they in a relationship?

_Shower first, conversation later_ she needed her bag, last she remembered she put it down before dinner, which meant it was probably in the living room… which meant she had to go fetch it… naked. _God I hope Tony wasn’t expecting visitors_.

Quietly peeking into the hallway, she could make out her bag at far end, right beside the couch where everything started. She couldn’t hear anyone but that didn’t mean some unassuming person wasn’t patiently waiting for the genius to wake up.

“There is no other person on this floor, Miss. Meadows,” JARVIS assured her. “I have locked elevator access until Sir deemed it appropriate.”

“Thank you, JARVIS,” she whispered before venturing forth and grabbing her bag before heading for the bathroom.

Liberty instantly fell in love with it, the shower was huge – though there was no bathtub, strangely enough – the water was the perfect temperature before she even stepped in, and there were several jets spraying her from multiple angles. She debated borrowing some of the bath products or using her own and decided it couldn’t hurt to try rich people things for once in her life.

Funnily enough however despite Tony throwing money left and right and buying things because he can, she could easily identify everything in his shower, and they were mostly in her ‘is it really worth it?’ category instead of her ‘drop it like it’s hot’. _Never pegged Tony to be into organic… or peaches_ but she wasn’t going to complain; at least it wasn’t Old Spice.

Tony was still out cold by the time she reentered his room; scrubbed clean and wearing nothing but a pair of black jeans because of course she packed the one shirt that was so thin and worn out it should have been tossed ages ago.

“JARVIS?” she asked quietly.

“Yes Miss. Meadows?” the AI was pleased that she was trying to let his Sir sleep.

“Do you think Tony would mind if I borrowed one of his shirts?”

“Of course not, Sir would wish you to be comfortable.”

“Thank you,” she crept into the closet which was _massive_ and full of various suits and band t-shirts.

Liberty decided to take one of his long-sleeved button ups – it was a deep red and reminded her almost of his armor – before venturing back into the kitchen in hopes of finding some tea and maybe getting Tony out of bed with some coffee. Unfortunately, there was neither, maybe Tony kept it in the kitchen on the common floor for everyone else? JARVIS activated the elevator and helped her find the correct floor. There was nobody else in the kitchen except for Dr. Banner and a blond she hadn’t met before.

“Good morning,” she greeted shyly. The blond waved at her politely, but Dr. Banner almost dropped his mug.

“Good morning! eh… is Tony awake there’s something I need to talk to him about,” Bruce stuttered.

“He’s still sleeping but I’m hoping some coffee will wake him up, and maybe find some tea for myself.”

“I-I can help you with that! I’m more of a tea drinker myself.”

Bruce helped her find the green tea, and JARVIS informed her what kind of coffee Tony liked in the morning. While the coffee brewed the elevator dinged signaling someone arriving, though it wasn’t Tony or even Thor but a stranger in a black trench coat with a red head on one side and a man with a bow and arrow on the other.

“Director Fury, I hope this isn’t about Loki because I don’t think I can reason with Thor anymore,” the blond man spoke up, his voice somehow respectful but clearly done with this nonsense.

“Captain Rogers this is about Stark himself,” Fury told him. “I have reports that he’s bringing civilians onto Avengers property.”

“First off I’m pretty sure it’s not the government’s business who Tony Stark brings into his home, second off this is _his_ property, not ours and he can do whatever he damn well pleases with it.” And like hell was anyone going to tell him any different, damn it this was America!

“Steve, if you let Tony do whatever he wants he’ll just destroy this place with booze and women,” the red head told him. “He already got a head start on the women.”

“ _Woman_ ,” Liberty corrected, putting down her tea. She didn’t know who these people were, but they were badmouthing Tony and that was just unacceptable. “There is only me, and I can assure you there will only be me.”

“Listen Sweetheart,” the one with the bow and arrow started in the most insultingly condescending tone. “Tony is a playboy, and will kick you out as soon as he wakes up, you are nothing more than another notch on his bedpost-”

Not even Hawkeye could’ve seen the fist coming at his face until he was flat on his ass. Bewildered he stared up at the now bright green, angry eyes of a certain scientist.

“Shut your mouth Barton!” Bruce snarled. “You don’t know a damn thing!”

_Barton?_ Liberty froze, turning to the man who looked ready to piss his pants. _He looks a lot like… it doesn’t matter_ instead she focused on the other two people who have drawn their guns and pointed them at Dr. Banner.

“This is just a great start to a weekend, first government agents trespass on private property – and yes you did because Tony didn’t invite you, and the company branch downstairs doesn’t open for another month so there’s nobody to even buzz you up which means you must have hacked the elevators,” JARVIS so thoughtfully confirmed that theory for her. “And now you’re threatening an unarmed civilian with a gun… my god this is lawsuit gold right now. JARVIS can you save this for me?”

“No lawsuits until I have my coffee,” Tony interjected. He looked like he just rolled out of bed which he did, JARVIS had alerted him to Fury and his lackey’s presence the moment they stepped through the front door.

“Blacker than night first thing in the morning, right?” Liberty offered him a cup.

“Marry me,” he groaned downing it immediately. With his boost of caffeine, he turned towards his unwanted guests. “You, first you play ocean eleven with the vents and nearly cause a war with a fucking prince of a realm of fucking powerful gods right out of Norse mythology; then you break in here, insult my soulmate, threaten Dr. Banner… what the hell is wrong with you people?”

“Banner assaulted Agent Barton!” Fury argued.

“Agent Barton insulted a woman he knows nothing about!” Rogers argued back. By god these were the same people he fought beside just a few days ago?

“He was just being honest!” Natasha shouted, turning to Liberty. “Do you seriously think Tony will ever settle down? even if you are his soulmate, he’ll never give up whoring around!”

“Actually, yes I do,” she glared, wondering if she could get away punching her in the face. “Unlike you, I don’t listen to cheap tabloids, unlike you I’ve witnessed Tony speak to a woman who ran to the papers claiming they slept together when in reality he spent the night with me laughing at the sixties idea of special effects, and unlike you I have seen the real Tony Stark; not the Howard Stark reincarnated everyone expects.”

“Do us both a favor Fury,” Tony sneered. “Next time send Woo, or Coulson when he gets out of the hospital – and yes I know he’s alive you son of a bitch, I’ve sent flowers – as of right now I don’t want either of you three in my tower until you can learn to be civil.”

Fury just glared and motioned for the other two to follow him, Natasha spared one last look at Liberty, “You’re making a huge mistake,” she muttered before guiding a partially blind Hawkeye out.

“The nerve… the utter fucking nerve…” Tony mumbled into his cup before he remembered he drank all his coffee already. “Breakfast… hey Liberty how about we pick up Teddy and get some breakfast?”

“Sure,” Liberty consented, turning to Bruce. “Are you okay, Dr. Banner?”

“Y-yes,” truthfully, he was embarrassed for lashing out, it wasn’t his place. Suddenly he yelped when he felt soft hands cupping his face.

“Huh…” Liberty looked at his face in interest. “I could have sworn your eyes were green… must have been a trick of the light.”

“Breakfast!” Tony exclaimed, trying to diverge attention away from the fact his soulmate didn’t know who Dr. Banner truly was. “Lots of breakfast, for everyone, Sweetheart so go grab your shoes and we’ll blow this joint for some crepes and waffles and bacon!”

They heard her giggling until the elevator took her back up to Tony’s floor, Steve; sensing the awkwardness decided to go for his morning run and had originally declined Tony’s offer to bring him something until the genius insisted and requested blueberry muffins.

“Tony…” Bruce started.

“Birdbrain had it coming Bruce, if it wasn’t you it would have been me,” Tony assured.

“That’s not what I mean… I need to talk to you about… Liberty,” he couldn’t even make eye contact. “Are you sure she’s your soulmate?”

“A hundred percent, I’ve seen my mark on her and there just… no mistaking it.”

“So… then you know she has… more.”

“… Yes, she has… multiple.” He didn’t want to say how many in case Bruce was one of those who thought it was wrong… which would suck because then they wouldn’t be science bros anymore.

“Seven.”

“How the fuck do you know that?”

“Last night I saw a portion of one… and I recognized it,” just thinking about it made his pulse quicken.

“… Oh…” Honestly not the best thing he could but damn it he was at a loss! “And how do you feel about that? About her other marks?”

“Well the scientist in me is ecstatic, I mean there has only been a record of three at least what? Twice in history? But the non-science side is just… self-deprecating. Knowing what I am how could I have a chance against you or the others?”

“If anyone should be feeling inadequate it’s me! I haven’t even talked to her about her feelings towards her other marks yet, but between you and Thor I’m like… Frodo against Aragorn and Legolas!”

“… I’m going to ignore that Lord of the Rings reference,” Bruce sighed before frowning. “Why did you mention Thor?”

“… He’s another one of her soulmates,” at the face Bruce made Tony quickly added. “But she doesn’t know yet! We decided to take things slow and not dump it all on her!”

“Who the hell can compete with a literal god?” Bruce groaned.

****

They picked up Teddy and bought enough breakfast for a small army, leaving some beyond for Foggy and Matt before packing what belongings Liberty and Teddy had in Tony’s car, call her optimistic or naïve but living in the tower felt… right. Of course, Matt and Foggy were offered a floor at least until the dorms opened back up but they declined.

Teddy could barely stay in his seat at the idea of living with superheroes.

“Can I meet Captain America?” he asked eagerly.

“I’m sure you’ll see him eventually but remember what we talked about behaving with famous people,” Liberty told him.

“Treat them with respect,” he nodded in understanding.

“We once saw Justin Bieber be chased by a horde of fangirls,” she explained to Tony.

“It was very rude of them, he just wanted to see a movie in peace.”

When they got back, Steve had returned and was amused by the young boy who tried to act respectful and even shook his hand like a proper adult, JARVIS had made sure to save the video for later.

Liberty noticed the odd behavior from Thor when he came downstairs for food with his brother, at least she thought it was odd to suddenly slap Bruce on the back when Tony whispered something in the god’s ear. They had been doing a lot of whispering now that she thought about it.

“Are you three plotting something?” she asked suspicious after yet another round of whispering between the three.

“Just discussing sending Point Break and Reindeer Games home in time for the holidays,” Tony told her, nearly wincing when he saw a flash of hurt in her eyes. He despised lying to her, but he wasn’t ready to tell her the truth about her other soulmates yet… at least two of them anyway.

Thor however could not stand the look in her eyes, and when he saw her leave for her and her brother’s new floor he decided to follow. Loki would be fine for a few minutes without him surely.

“Lady Liberty,” he started, looking around. Like the other floors, this one was bare except for a bed – a second one had been ordered for Teddy – and a dresser. Not very welcoming but open for whoever lived here to give it their personal touch.

“Something I can do for you Thor?” she asked.

“Am I permitted to ask you a personal question? I fear Midgard is very strange and different compared to my home in Asgard.”

“I guess it really depends on the question. But I’ll do my best to answer.”

“Do you feel it is wrong to love multiple people?” she frowned, a contemplating look on her face as she thought over her answer.

“I mean… it is pretty strange when you think about it; we love our family, our friends, why should be draw the line at partners especially if everyone is on board? I… I will be honest Thor, before Tony confessed to me, I never really thought I’d meet any of my soulmates…” she failed to notice said man was currently being held back by Banner as they eavesdropped. “For so long I thought they would be disgusted by the idea of sharing a soulmate, and perhaps the rest will want nothing to do with me when they learn Tony has found me first, but that’s just something I’ll have to deal with. I can’t change myself to fit what society believes is right.”

“And you don’t need to!” Tony exclaimed finally getting out of Bruce’s grip, “you are perfect just the way you are and I should’ve had this conversation with you before but you know emotions were never my strong point and I didn’t know how to bring it up but I don’t care if you have other soulmates I’m just worried you’ll decide to leave me when you find them and they’re better-”

“Alright I’m going to stop you right there,” Liberty said sternly, and miraculously Tony stopped talking. “I’m not leaving, not because SHIELD threatens me or another soulmate comes around, you are stuck with me Mr. Stark until the end of time. If I did meet another one of my soulmates, they would have to accept that I’m… not normal.”

“You’re normal!” she gave him a look. “enough? And… well I guess now is a good time as any to tell you that at least three of your soulmates aren’t put off by sharing.”

“Aye, your loyalty and compassion are highly desirable traits, my lady,” Thor spoke softly. “And I am honored to bare your mark.”

“I’m probably worse than Tony when it comes to emotions… I honestly wasn’t sure if I should even say anything but I would love a chance to get to know you,” Bruce sported a very red face and struggled to maintain eye contact.

“Wait… you mean you guys are…” Thor lifted his shirt to expose her mark on his pec, Bruce rolled up his left sleeve to show the mark on his inner forearm.

The floor suddenly felt very inviting, and the last thing she remembered was her name being screamed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nothing like fainting after learning something important, am I right?
> 
> I actually did witness Justin Bieber be chased by fans, he was at a theater right beside the pottery painting shop I was in, one of the employees actually got in big trouble for being unprofessional and trying to use the shops backdoor to get to him when the theater let him use theirs to leave.
> 
> Also, I've decided that I'm obviously a better writer for Steve Rogers than whoever was in charge of the MCU, those bastards did my baby dirty, and as such he's going to be closer to the comics and cartoons instead.
> 
> Hawkeye might get a chance to not be a dick, don't know about Natasha because honestly, I've always thought she was (personality-wise) the weakest Avenger, we'll just have to see.


End file.
